Outrages (Susan Ohanian Speaks Out)

Outrages

9486 in the collection

Instead of Stopping Military Appropriations, Members of Congress Use it for Pork, Including Education Pork

by Susan Ohanian

Writing in the New York Times article on earmarks , Marilyn W. Thompson and Ron Nixon observe, "Even though members of Congress cut back their pork barrel spending this year, House lawmakers still tacked on to the military appropriations bill $1.8 billion to pay 580 private companies for projects the Pentagon did not request," with 21 members being responsible for about $1 billion in earmarks, or financing for pet projects. This year is the first time lawmakers have been required to make disclosures.

House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, requested $32 million in earmarks. Since the Times did not see fit to reveal details, I went to Earmark Watch, where one can search who requested what.

Nancy Pelosi has requested a $200,000 earmark for Envision School, a charter school co-founded by a Bank of America vice president and a Teacher. They are funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, among others. But Pelosi figures they need more money.

Pelosi has also requested an earmark of $100,000 for KIPP Foundation, San Francisco, CA for "curriculum development and the recruitment and professional development of school leaders, teachers, and administrators."

And more.

You can find out what pork other members of Congress are requesting by going to
Earmark Watch.

At the same time she has become an outspoken advocate for her pal George Miller's abusive rewrite of NCLB, Speaker Pelosi is out stumping for KIPP and other charters. It is past time to clean up the House. And a maverick citizen-politician in Vermont has a plan. He is running for Congress and has launched a grassroots campaign encouraging citizens across the country to do the same. Sweep the House clean. First the House, then the Senate.

We ordinary, decent, able, American citizens must recruit and support a few hundred of us who will then run for every seat in Congress, en masse as Independents—-all of us coming AT Congress in the 2008 Congressional elections from outside the traditional party structures.

Fire Congress!

— Susan Ohanian

2007-11-04

INDEX OF OUTRAGES

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