Re: Congressional “earmarks”

It is truly obscene how much money is wasted in our government. In 2005, President Bush signed a transportation bill with $24 Billion in earmarks. This goes to the heart of ethics and politics. An example of just 2 ethical issues with the earmarks that were approved called for “improvements to an exit ramp”.

California Congressman Ken Calvert. In July 2005, received $8 million for improvements to an exit ramp – an earmark, he proclaimed, would streamline access to a local military base. What Calvert didn't disclose was just two months earlier, he bought land about a mile from the base. Public records reveal that within a year, Calvert and a partner sold the land at a profit of $435,000

California Congressman Gary Miller, who sits on the Transportation Committee purchased a piece of land for $1.5 million from his top campaign donor – who also loaned him the money for the deal. Eight months later, Congress approved millions of dollars worth of improvements to a nearby exit ramp – an earmark overseen by Miller's committee. He then sold the land back to his campaign donor for $100,000 profit.

Neither man had any repercussions for these blatant abuses. It should be said that they did not necessarily “break the law”. But is what they are doing ethical? They are using our taxes to make themselves rich. If these congressmen did not own the land next to the ramps, would they still have pushed for the millions to be spent on it?