A man condemning the income tax because of the annoyance it gives him or the expense it puts him to is merely a dog baring its teeth, and he forfeits the privileges of civilized discourse. But it is permissible to criticize it on other and impersonal grounds. A government, like an individual, spends money for any or all of three reasons: because it needs to, because it wants to, or simply because it has it to spend. The last is much the shabbiest. It is arguable, if not manifest, that a substantial proportion of this great spring flood of billions pouring into the Treasury will in effect get spent for that last shabby reason.
Rex Stout wrote this in 1948 (And Be a Villain). It’s arguable that little has changed.
The Congressional Pig Book was released yesterday by Citizens Against Government Waste. You can find this year’s book here. Here are some of the lowlights (randomly pulled):
- $150,000 for the Bulgarian-Macedonian National Educational and Cultural Center in Pittsburgh, PA. I have nothing against Bulgarians and Macedonians, but this smells like pork.
- $600,000 for the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. I have nothing against Abe (after all, I was born in Illinois), but I can see better uses of this money.
- $100,000 for the South Carolina International Center for Automotive Research Park Innovation. This center will apparently be used for auto racing research. I think NASCAR could fund this themselves.
- $500,000 for the Sparta Teapot Museum in Sparta, SC. Does the government need to support a teapot museum?
- $273,000 for urban market development in New York. The goal of this program is “garden mosaics.” I can think of better uses for that money.
I deliberately chose only items under $1,000,000. There are plenty over $1,000,000. Like $6,435,000 for wood utilization research. $1,000,000 for the Waterfree Urinal Conservation Initiative. Talk about money down the drain.
I urge you to read this list. Further, you should talk to your Congressional representatives so the amount of pork shrinks to a managable level. Go to Porkbusters and help with the cause. Remember, your tax dollars are at work!