January 6, 2007

House Tightens Disclosure Rules for Pet Projects - New York Times

House Tightens Disclosure Rules for Pet Projects - New York Times:

All earmarks should have the name of the sponsor(s) and the beneficiaries included in spending bills with full public disclosure. The whole earmark business is fraught with problems, not the least of which is the huge costs that continue to increase the annual deficits and debt.

"Lawmakers already race to take credit for earmarked projects for their districts. But it has often been impossible for outsiders to learn who sponsored earmarks no one took credit for, and unclaimed earmarks were often the ones that played a role in corruption scandals. The new rules will require disclosure of all earmarks in a bill, as well as their sponsors, their purpose and their costs. The rules will also prohibit party leaders from trading earmarks for members’ votes."

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