Quote:
Quote by: Winter wind  Ghook, tell me exactly why pork barrel is bad?
I've learned about it in my politics class. I know it isn't great in overdose, but some isn't terrible.
So clarify for my why pork barrel is bad, for my sake. |
This is what pork barrel spending government spending for projects that are intended primarily to benefit particular constituents or campaign contributors (its different than other spending). It is pandering to a special interest in which the funds get diluted and wasted on projects that are purely political.
Quote:
|
it involves funding for government programs whose economic or service benefits are concentrated in a particular area but whose costs are spread among all taxpayers.
|
Citizens Against Government Waste: Big Dig failures threaten federal funding - The Boston Globe
Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) and the Congressional Porkbusters Coalition developed seven criteria for a project to qualify as pork:
(1) Requested by only one chamber of Congress;
(2) Not specifically authorized;
(3) Not competitively awarded;
(4) Not requested by the President;
(5) Greatly exceeds the President’s budget request or the previous year’s funding;
(6) Not the subject of congressional hearings; or
(7) Serves only a local or special interest.
Citizens Against Government Waste:
Pork is bad!