It's not sexy, but Bush and anti-spenders in Congress should also be pushing to reform the congressional budget process, which favors free spending. Making the budget resolution binding, for instance, would rein in appropriators who ignore it to lavish money on their own priorities. Cuts in pork-barrel spending are important, but history tells us when the current anti-pork moment passes, pet projects will be back with a vengeance. The trick is to create the basis for savings over time.The spending is out of control. The sooner we all realize that eliminating pork for good is the best thing for us, the better off we'll all be...
The most important ingredient at the moment, however, is presidential leadership. It has been absent for five years on spending. Bush is said to rise to the occasion when confronted with crises. He is about to confront one within his own party on spending. Let the rising begin.
I assume that the Packard Museum in Ohio that got some tasty pig in the Transportation Bill is this one. As a member of the Ohio Valley British Brass Band, I played at the opening of this museum...museums do not need pork. It is a delightful little museum, but if it can't support itself on the donations of its patrons, it should be closed down.
