Show me the Money!!!!!!

Pork pork pork. A magical, mystifying word that is used much more than it is understood. Given that the government is looking to spend about $900 billion, essentially a trillion dollars on an economic recovery package, it is no surprise that the word is thrown around. I’ve seen the media and pundits highlighting multitudes of questionable appropriations within the “economic recovery package”. $25 million for condoms, $90 million to educate on the DTV transition, the list goes on. I suggest checking out 50 De-Stimuatling Facts to get a better idea on the “outrageous” spending.

The dictionary describes several definitions of pork, perhaps the most cutting as appropriations made for political reasons rather than for public benefit. It also explains pork as government funds appropriated by politicians to gain favor with their constituents. The question I ask myself (everyone should) - is what in the world is passed by congress that is NOT pork? All activities of congress are political and therefore done for political reasons. Hopefully, and typically, these political maneuverings are done because they will gain favor with constituents (and therefore be a public benefit). This entire $1 trillion dollars of stimulus is pork. Get over it.

So it is a spending bill of pork (surprise!). What lawmakers and the media are fawning over are the big numbers for what may or may not be considered economic stimulus. They make great sound bytes! The “De-Stimulating” article points out many of the segments which are arguably inappropriate. $50 million for the Endowment for the Arts. Outrageous! But before we all foam at the mouth, lets get relative. What is $50 million of a trillion dollar package?

A hundredth of a percent.

Add all these ridiculous points of spending this article points out together, and you get over $33 billion in pork. No sneezes here. What is the entire total of “De-Stimulating” spending ($33 billion) relative to a trillion dollar package?

3%.

If the best you can do is point out that only 97% of this bill can be considered economic stimulus, that you should be an outraged, hippie hating, nobama voting citizen, perhaps you should consider a reality check. The government’s/America's fiscal problems are far beyond spending $25 million on condoms.