Spending the Surplus and the Trouble With Earmarks

It’s a given that, whenever government ends up with extra money, the taxpayers can expect to get none of it back. Government in general views all of us citizens as walking revenue sources.

So, it’s no surprise, despite taxing the heck out of everything, that a little bit of relief was not in the offing from the Boise City Council. I can’t criticize most of their list, although given the utter failure of Community House, I wonder how effective the City’s $2 million plan to fight homelessness will be.

However, I do have one question. We’ve been informed that the 2009 Winter Special Olympics are in trouble. The games should be a boom for the City of Boise, enhancing profits for those in and about the City. There’s been concern because an earmark-laden appropriations bill that had $8 million for the Winter Games in it was vetoed and Congressman Sali was one of the deciding votes to not override the President’s veto.

Now, I’d be willing to bet that somewhere among the 8000 earmarks in the ominous Omnibus Bill is funding for the Special Olympics. But, the fact is that the Federal money isn’t necessary. The City of Boise (which will be the primary beneficary) could foot at least part of the $8 million and the cash-flushed State of Idaho could certainly cover the rest. Thus, many earmarks, even the well-meaning ones, do for states and communities, what they can and ought to do for themselves.