This super NYT story paints a powerful picture of the sins of our archaic political machines, which exist to serve no one but themselves.
It doesn’t matter whether they call themselves Republican or Democrat, both machines place their interests and those of their wealthy legalized bribers ahead of our over-arching national interests.
Pork barrel is a metaphor for the appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative’s district. The usage originated in American English.
Why do the people who build NASCAR racetracks merit a $100 million tax break?
Are they nonprofits?
No.
So why?
Anyone want to speculate on how many free tickets our elected exploiters got for that move?
It’s worth noting that NASCAR audiences tend to be more conservative than most Americans, but you’ll never hear a critical peep from the small government noisemakers on the fringe-right about this vestige of big government spending. Likewise, farmers also tend to be quite conservative, but you’ll never hear them rail against farm subsidies or the ridiculous federal farm warehouse program several presidents have tried to eliminate.
It allows farmers to store their crops for free until prices rise. Meanwhile, you and I, Joe Taxpayers, have to pay $50 a month for half a closet when we need to store something.
How is that fair?
And how does a self-proclaimed small government Republican like U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) look his hypocritical mug in the mirror each morning while supporting such a program?
It’s not kosher.
Media entrepreneur Arriana Huffington said it best when she liked the U.S. political class to “pigs at the trough.”
