Sneaking in earmarks


Looks like the ban is for appearances
I thought when it happened that Obama's ban on lobbyists in his Administration and his ban on earmarks were more about Grand Theatre than actual reform.

The Imperious Leader already appointed one lobbyist. And it looks like there are plenty of loopholes for earmarks to drip through.

There are thousands of projects like those that once would have been gotten money upfront but now are left to scramble for dollars at the back end of the process as "ready to go" jobs eligible for the stimulus plan.

The result, as The Associated Press learned in interviews with more than a dozen lawmakers, lobbyists and state and local officials, is a shadowy lobbying effort that may make it difficult to discern how hundreds of billions in federal money will be parceled out.

"'No earmarks' isn't a game-ender," said Peter Buffa, former mayor of Costa Mesa, Calif. "It just means there's a different way of going about making sure the funding is there."

It won't be in legislative language that overtly sets aside money for them. That's the infamous practice known as earmarking, which Obama and Democratic congressional leaders have agreed to nix for the massive stimulus package, expected to come up for a House vote this week.

Instead, the money will be doled out according to arcane formulas spelled out in the bill and in some cases based on the decisions of Obama administration officials, governors and state and local agencies that will choose the projects.

I can't figure out if it's deliberate or if it's just a natural step. But it sure looks like that this process will become less transparent and less subject to public scrutiny.

At least until it's too late to do anything about it.

Ladies and gentlemen, behold the Change.

— NeoWayland

Posted: Mon - January 26, 2009 at 01:14 PM  Tag


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