In this morning’s Washington Post, George Will takes a look at what it will take to clean up the mess in Washington. He makes two basic suggestions, both of which are at the very least a very good start toward cleaning up a very bad situation:
First, Will says, we need to abandon the use of continuing resolutions:
Adopted at the end of fiscal years when Congress does not complete appropriations bills, continuing resolutions usually authorize the government to continue spending at current levels. If Congress had to get its work done on time — if the only alternative were a chaotic government shutdown — it would. Then Congress would have less reason to loiter in Washington doing mischief.
It happens every year. Congress and the President are unable to come to agreement on a budget. The day approaches where the government will essentially “run out of money” unless the budget is approved. And, Congress passes a continuing resolution, which is essentially Congress’s way of not having to do its homework and get a budget passed. Continuing resolutions also help cement existing spending into place, thus making it harder to eliminate a program in the future. Stop that practice, and they will actually have to get their work done.
Next, Will says we need to get rid of the practice of giving large sums of government money to private entities:
Forbid appropriations to private entities. Government money should flow directly to government agencies — federal, state or local. And those agencies should be required to formally testify that local projects receiving national funding serve essential national needs. Appropriations that are, in effect, cash flows from individual representatives to private entities are invitations to corruption. Federal money directed to private entities was what ex-representative Duke Cunningham (R-Calif.) was bribed to deliver.
I can’t think of any good reason why this shouldn’t be the case.
Will’s final suggestion is the one that would, most likely, prove to be the most difficult to enact:
So, end “earmarks.” They write into law a representative’s or senator’s edict that a particular sum be spent on a particular project in his or her state or district.
The problem with this is that earmarks are the method by which Congressmen deliver pork to their districts, thus ensuring their own re-election. Eliminate their ability to this and, god forbid, they might actually have to run in competitive elections. The other problem is the fact that the voting public actually likes it when their elected officials bring home the pork. So, as Shakespeare said, the fault, dear Brutus lies not in our leaders, but in ourselves.
Meanwhile, Don Surber asks a really good question……what ever happened to the idea of term limits ?
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