by Andrew Lee

Created on: November 11, 2009   Last Updated: November 12, 2009

Case in point, for the abolishment of earmarks in Congress is Congressman Henry Brown of the 1st Congressional District in South Carolina. In the 2009 session, Congressman Brown received a campaign donation from the Darkness to Light Foundation (as can be confirmed on opensecrets.org) for a sum of $5,000.

He in turn inserted an earmark into legislation for this foundation for the sum of $500,000. In the 2010 session, Congressman Brown received $20,000 from the same foundation and he in turn put in an earmark request for $2,000,000 for the foundation (again can be verified through opensecrets.org). Between this year and last, Congressman Brown has requested more than $441,000,000 in earmarks. This is thievery at the highest levels.

Legislation today is clouded by the use of earmarks and special interest to the point that the merits of the resolutions or amendments are secondary in nature to the repayment of political favors received.

This is evidenced in the buying of newly elected Congressman Cao of Louisiana, being promised forgiveness of a 1.2 billion dollar debt to his constituents by President Obama for his yes vote on the health care bill from the House of Representatives.

Earmarks are the crack cocaine of the politicians. Once used, their addiction to the power they hold, becomes an obsession to a freshman politician. The politician learns very quickly that his only importance in the system is to the party line vote and his only hope of reelection is to fill his or her campaign war chest with political contributions from anyone, anywhere and any time.

He or she uses these earmarks as leverage over issues that may have major ramifications to their constituents or to the nation as a whole, but the obsession of reelection overcomes the needs of the country. They will use these earmarks in return for votes on legislation that is in total opposition to their core beliefs, if it fills their war chest.

Reform of our government and the stewardship of our tax dollars will continue to be fought by the media, who's livelihood comes from political ads, big business, who gets concessions for contributions and from minority interests in the country who have been placed upon a pedestal looking down on the masses.

Reform of our political system will never be achieved from within itself. The reform will have to come from men and women outside who have the core beliefs that no person, regardless of race or religion, or entity has any right to that is not given to all.

Until the people elect people who will strictly adhere to the Constitution of the United States and place the good of the country above all else, we are doomed morally and financially as a nation.

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