OH-09: Iott Signs No Pork Pledge

Release:

Rich Iott, candidate for Ohio's 9th Congressional District, has signed the No Pork Pledge sponsored by Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW).

CAGW, which advocates the elimination of waste and inefficiency in government through nonpartisan public education programs and lobbying activities, in July named incumbent Rep. Marcy Kaptur their 'Porker of the Month' for "gaming the House Democrats' prohibition on awarding earmarks to for-profit companies and wasting taxpayers' money."

Upon notice of the award, Iott said:

"Politicians like Marcy Kaptur, who've been in Washington so long that they actually think this sort of wasteful spending is a good thing, have brought our county to the edge of bankruptcy with a debt approaching $14 trillion. Now is the time to acknowledge that earmarks need to stop and that her so-called 'legislative priorities' are not the priorities of the taxpayers she's supposed to represent.

"Ohio's 9th Congressional District needs a businessman who understands that "eviscerating earmark reform and wasting taxpayers' money" (as the CAGW called it) is not the way to create economic growth in the district, the state or the nation.

"When I'm elected, I promise to end 'pay-to-play' corruption, and bring some real-world, common sense business experience to Capitol Hill."

In following through on that promise, Iott signed the No Pork Pledge which reads:

I, Rich Iott, pledge to the constituents of the 9th Congressional district of the state of Ohio and to the American people that I will not request any pork-barrel earmark, which is defined as meeting one of the following criteria:

Requested by only one chamber of Congress

Not specifically authorized

Not competitively awarded

Not requested by the President

Greatly exceeds the President's budget request or the previous year's funding

Not the subject of congressional hearings

Serves only a local or special interest

"When career politicians each try to get their own piece of the pie, it is the taxpayers who are left with an empty plate - and the bill. While I don't need to sign a pledge to remember that my obligation is not to spend taxpayer money on pork, I'm happy to put my commitment in writing so the voters can hold me accountable," Rich Iott said.