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Will the presidential contenders choose pork or retirement security?
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
By Dick Armey
Chairman
FreedomWorksSome in Congress have made a living redistributing tax dollars from working families to special interests. They believe that your money is best spent on a rain forest project in Iowa or the Charlie Rangel Center for Public Service in Harlem. Instead of allowing private donations or investments to pay for such projects, some members of Congress have decided that you, the taxpayer, should foot the bill.
Pork barrel projects have been a problem for some time, but things have gotten much worse in recent years. Thousands of earmarks are slipped into bills without any scrutiny or debate, and have led to a massive corruption of the appropriations process. Politicians have paid lip service to changing their ways, but most of this talk has not led to action.
While some Members of Congress are happily spending tax dollars on the Bridge to Nowhere or the Woodstock museum, they also dig us into a deeper hole on the issue of retirement security. These legislators are choosing their favorite pork-barrel projects over stopping the raid on the Social Security Trust Fund and securing the retirement of future generations.
Senator Barack Obama, for example, has floated the idea of increasing taxes to make up future shortfalls in the Social Security system. Meanwhile, he is only too happy to take earmarks that benefit him politically. Instead of raising taxes it would be better if he and other politicians made stopping the raid on Social Security a priority over earmarks.
The Senate will have its chance to do just that when Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) introduces his Stop the Raid amendment. Each Senator will have to take a stand on an important issue. By looking at how each Senator votes we will know who is serious about stopping the raid of the Social Security Trust Fund to pay for things like a $5 million Teapot Museum or other egregious earmarks.
To make sure that our issue gets the attention it deserves, we will need your help to convince the Senate to do the right thing. Take Action!
Also, we will need your help to target those Senators running for the highest office in the land: the presidency. Visit www.stoptheraid08.com and join the growing campaign to force the presidential candidates to get serious about both earmark reform and retirement security.
No longer will we allow the candidates to talk about how they want to tackle the tough issues without actually taking a stand on them. When this vote occurs, we will know who is serious and who wants to continue on the path toward fiscal disaster.
I tip my hat to Senator DeMint and his colleagues that plan to vote for his Stop the Raid amendment. He will need all the help he can get to put pressure on the rest of the Senate. Join the growing chorus for real reform, and help us drive this message home.
Visit www.stoptheraid08.com
Sincerely,
Dick Armey
Chairman
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