Obama wants pork-free plan
$755 billion idea: Accountability key to package
Even as he promised to fight waste and to make tough budgetary decisions, however, Obama warned that the nation could face trillion-dollar deficits for years go come. Eight years ago the federal budget ran a surplus, and the deficit on Sept. 30 was about $455 billion.
Two weeks before taking office, Obama said Americans will accept his proposed stimulus plan expected to cost about $775 billion only if they believe the money is being used wisely to boost the troubled economy and to make smart long-term investments in public projects.
He told reporters at his transition office that his package will set a "new higher standard of accountability, transparency and oversight. We are going to ban all earmarks, the process by which individual members insert projects without review."
Obama said he will create an "economic recovery oversight board" and bring "a long overdue sense of responsibility and accountability to Washington."
Previous presidents, of course, have promised to cut spending and waste, only to find the task far easier to describe than achieve.
Long-running criticisms of budgetary "earmarks," which some consider pork-barrel spending, are having an impact, however. Senate Budget Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D., said the stimulus package is likely to emerge from Congress free of earmarks, even though he notes that some earmark projects have proven tremendously popular and effective over the years.
Conrad agreed that trillion-dollar deficits are likely for a few years, and must be tolerated as the government pumps money into the badly weakened economic. But the nation must confront long-term problems facing Social Security and Medicare, he said, which will be "very, very tough."
Meanwhile, in comments to reporters, Obama while not officially confirming that he has picked Leon Panetta to head the CIA praised Panetta as "one of the finest public servants that we've had."
Recent comments
I have just learned something about "pork spending". It seems the guy...
Bro Chuck's Rant n Rave | Jan. 7, 2009 at 5:19 p.m.
Apparently no one has ever told Obama that there is no way you can...
Obama HAH | Jan. 7, 2009 at 4:58 p.m.
Utah received the largest pork in 2002 with 3.2 billion. LA held a...
Anonymous | Jan. 7, 2009 at 2:13 p.m.
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