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Jeff Flake is a Republican Congressman from Arizona. I don't support most of his policies but he is nothing if not tireless in trying to strip federal budgets of their earmarks. If you turn on C-SPAN during the boring hours of a budget debate you can often watch Mr. Flake standing up for hours on end, making amendment after amendment to get rid of individual earmarks, some of which are nonsensical, such as "$400,000 to West Virgina for [BLANK]"-- no purpose was recorded on the bill. He is always voted down by the other, corrupt Representatives but he never gives up.
Examples of some of his weekly earmark discoveries, taken from his website and complete with his extremely dry puns (he really ought to get syndicated!):
Jan 25, 2008: $1,112,000 for potato research. "This is a waste of money, no matter how you spell it," said Flake.
Apr 13, 2007: $500,000 for facilities construction at North Creek Ski Bowl in Warren County, New York. "I guess fiscal responsibility isn’t the only thing going downhill," said Flake.
- Comment on this bill by a blog reader: It's a dinky little ski place a few miles from the fabulous and state-owned Gore Mountain. The only business North Creek Ski Bowl ever got was when Gore was packed with too many skiers. North Creek would get a handful of leftovers who turned around after seeing the Gore Mountain parking lots full.
- North Creek couldn't attract more skiers even if they gave away chicks and booze with the lift tickets. It's probably owned by somebody who *really* resents the huge state-sponsored nearby Gore.
Mar 23, 2007: $250,000 for the restoration of the Barns of Rose Hill in Berryville, Virginia. "When it comes to fiscal responsibility, Congress couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn," said Flake.
Mar 9, 2007: $1,000,000 for beef improvement research in Missouri and Texas. "This earmark is a bunch of bull," said Flake.
Feb 16, 2007: $96,300 to Coral Gables, Florida for renovations to the Biltmore Hotel. "Sometimes I wish Congress had turndown service; we have a hard time turning down any chance to spend money," said Flake. "We ought to be (mini-)barred from funding pork projects like this."
- Quoting from their website: The Biltmore is a luxury golf and spa resort located in the upscale neighborhood of Coral Gables, right in the heart of Miami. The iconic Biltmore is surrounded by 150 acres of lush, tropical gardens which feature an 18-hole golf course and the world famous Biltmore pool. An oasis of privacy and tranquility in a vibrant city, the Biltmore is just minutes from the excitement of South Beach and the business districts of Coral Gables and downtown Miami. Yeah, they really need that money...
Jan 18, 2007: $150,000 to Lewiston, Idaho for completion of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Project. "Any more earmarks like this and not even Sacagawea will be able to lead us out of this fiscal wilderness," said Flake.
Jan 11, 2007: $550,000 to the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington."People who live in glass museums shouldn’t be thrown earmarks," said Flake.
Jan 5, 2007: $250,000 to the American Beach Property Owners' Association in Fernandina Beach, Florida. "It’s just another day at the beach for Congress, while the federal government is swimming in red ink," said Flake. (the pun isn't that good, but WOW that's a worthless earmark)