2006.12.20: December 20, 2006: Headlines: Figures: COS - El Salvador: Politics: Congress: Budget: Mercury News: The Mercury News writes: Mike Honda will help return fairness to Budgeting Process
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2006.12.20: December 20, 2006: Headlines: Figures: COS - El Salvador: Politics: Congress: Budget: Mercury News: The Mercury News writes: Mike Honda will help return fairness to Budgeting Process
The Mercury News writes: Mike Honda will help return fairness to Budgeting Process
The appointment last week of four-term Congressman Mike Honda of Campbell to the House Appropriations Committee will give him extra access to the federal till and the power to funnel grants and spending the Bay Area's way. But it coincides with a moratorium on earmarks, the pet projects that individual members of Congress have slipped into the budget, often unnoticed, on behalf of their districts. For now, though, a moratorium on earmarks will freeze extra money for the valley. Pelosi and Democratic leaders plan to strip thousands of earmarks, costing, by various estimates, between $10 billion and $17 billion, from the nine spending bills that the Republicans dumped in the Democrats' laps before splitting town this month. The Democrats plan to quickly pass the 2007 budget without earmarks and then start fresh with the next budget, with new rules for earmarks. Congressman Mike Honda of California served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in El Salvador in the 1960's.
The Mercury News writes: Mike Honda will help return fairness to Budgeting Process
Congress' no-pork pledge
HONDA WILL HELP RETURN FAIRNESS TO BUDGETING PROCESS
Mercury News Editorial
Such is the luck of the valley. Just when it finally can cut in line for a hunk of government pork, Congress vows to keep kosher.
The appointment last week of four-term Congressman Mike Honda of Campbell to the House Appropriations Committee will give him extra access to the federal till and the power to funnel grants and spending the Bay Area's way. But it coincides with a moratorium on earmarks, the pet projects that individual members of Congress have slipped into the budget, often unnoticed, on behalf of their districts. That infamous Alaska bridge to nowhere comes to mind.
In the past decade, earmarks also have sent windfalls to corporate patrons who fund representatives' campaigns.
The policy shift is badly timed, from a selfish perspective. But the nation will be better off with a less sleazy budgeting process, even if that means Silicon Valley cities may lose a million here or there that otherwise might have come their way. And a fairer system could mean California gets more revenue it has deserved.
Honda will join four California Democrats that House Speaker-in-waiting Nancy Pelosi has named to Appropriations, including Sam Farr of Salinas and Barbara Lee of Oakland. He will be positioned to argue for fair spending formulas for California for programs like Medicaid, for the valley's priorities of technology, transportation and affordable housing, and for a cause he long has advocated: full funding of special education.
If Honda gets to serve on the science subcommittee, as he hopes, he could guide more money to NASA-Ames Research Center, whose budget has been slashed by the Bush administration, or to San Jose State. He'll be the one whom Anna Eshoo and Zoe Lofgren, fellow South Bay Democrats in the House, go to for projects they believe deserve funding.
For now, though, a moratorium on earmarks will freeze extra money for the valley. Pelosi and Democratic leaders plan to strip thousands of earmarks, costing, by various estimates, between $10 billion and $17 billion, from the nine spending bills that the Republicans dumped in the Democrats' laps before splitting town this month. The Democrats plan to quickly pass the 2007 budget without earmarks and then start fresh with the next budget, with new rules for earmarks.
Cutting deals on behalf of constituents will always be part of budgeting, whether for BART plans, a courthouse or a grant to feed the homeless. California ships out a lot more in taxes than it gets back in revenue, and earmarks are a way to reclaim some of its money.
But especially since the Republicans took over Congress in 1994, earmarks have escalated and taken a dark turn. Representatives and senators have secretly inserted them into the budget or in the conference committee bills, where they escaped notice. Disgraced former California Rep. Duke Cunningham traded earmarks for bribes from defense contractors.
Pelosi has pledged to make ethics reform the top priority for Congress next month, including new rules for earmarks. At a minimum, an earmark's sponsor and beneficiary should be known. Members of Congress should state that they personally won't benefit from an earmark. Each earmark should be voted on, at least by a subcommittee. Lobbyists should be required to disclose what projects they're lobbying for.
The valley will gain from Honda's appointment to Appropriations. He is respected for his integrity, so he should do fine under the new rules. And there are no bridges to nowhere planned around here.
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Headlines: December, 2006; RPCV Mike Honda (El Salvador); Figures; Peace Corps El Salvador; Directory of El Salvador RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for El Salvador RPCVs; Politics; Congress; Budget; California
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Story Source: Mercury News
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