Omnibus 2009 - The Perfect Storm of Corruption and Waste

Omnibus 2009 Appropriations Act HR1105

The purpose of the Omnibus 2009 bill was to increase funding for government Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Science, Energy, Financial Services, Interior, Environment, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Legislative Branch, State, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development which were only being funded at 2008 levels and to further boost Department of Homeland Security funding.

Ordinarily, budgets would be set in the preceding year. However, since Congress wanted a $31 Billion or 8.3% spending increase, they decided to wait for a more amenable administration in order to secure spending goals. (Source for budget numbers: Committee on Appropriations US House of Representatives - Dave Obey Chairman http://appropriations.house.gov/FY2009_consolidated.shtml)

Earmarks - You be the Judge

• $10 Million for science enhancement at colleges but only “historically black colleges”
• $200,000 for tattoo removal but only if you live in California - (the rest of you will have to pay for your own)
• $2 Million for Promotion of Astronomy but only if you live in Hawaii
• $1.8 Million for Swine odor and manure management (Is it too late to add skunks along the highway to that one?)
• $819,000 for Catfish genome (DNA studies)
• $5.8 Million for Edward M Kennedy Institute for the Senate (Recruiting perhaps??)
• $17.5 Million for FDR library renovations
• $22 Million for JFK Presidential library (can’t be outdone by FDR!)
• $2 Million for LBJ Presidential library (Are they sending a message here? What's wrong with LBJ?)
• $2.2 Million for Center for Grape Genetics
• $800,000 for Oyster Rehabilitation (A joke that they accidently left in?)
• $2.8 Million for National Agricultural Library (Beltsville, MD - Yeehaw... Make your vacation plans now!)

If this were Monopoly money or even if this were money we have it might be funny. Unfortunately, this is borrowed money that our children will be toiling to pay off for many years into the future. The full listing of re-election-focused earmarks can be found by clicking on the appropriation link above.

Earmarks are actually a distraction to the real problem with our current government... Wasteful spending on wasteful programs.

In order to get a real perspective on the surprising level of spending on programs, take a look at the actual department budgets as written in the “bill“ link of http://appropriations.house.gov/FY2009_consolidated.shtml. What will you find?

• Programs that should not even exist
• Good programs weighted down with ridiculous waste and inefficiency
• Programs completely inappropriate for this day and age (There are actually federally funded programs in 2009 that funnel taxpayer money based solely upon ethnicity. See Racist Legislation in Omnibus 2009)

  
  

  After 15 minutes with the budget bill you are sure to wonder "Do these Senators and Representatives even live in our world?"

  The short answer is "many do not and never have". Many of them are incapable of recognizing the absurdity of their wasteful spending and are incapable of accepting responsibility (much like the child with chocolate frosting all over her face who vehemently insists that the sleeping baby ate the chocolate cake).

  
  

  Americans understand that the starting point of any fiscally responsible budget is income. The budget then forms at or below that level.

  Not all members of Congress are wasteful. Check the Voting Record page for documented stance of each.

  
  

  Relieve the big-spending economic anchors of their positions and you will save this great nation.