Political Quotes

“Mr. President, porkbarrel spending elicits images of politicos, fists full of cash to be passed out to the special interests. Porkbarrel spending sounds bad and smells worse. Porkbarrel spending is the original sin of Congress that Big Government types can't rid themselves of, can't rinse themselves clean of. Porkbarrel spending is the grease that eases billions and trillions of deficit dollars to flow. What did our Founders have to say about porkbarrel spending, about earmarks? The Constitution is quite clear: Taxation and spending are only allowed if they are for the general welfare. Justice Story, in our history, ruled that the general welfare clause was not a general grant of unlimited powers but, rather, a limiting clause that meant that government taxation and spending must be for the general welfare of the people, not for parochial interests. It is not for a sex club in Philadelphia. It has to be for the general welfare of all people in the United States. It is not for a parade in Detroit. It is for the general welfare of people. The earmarks are porkbarrel spending, and they are not included in the Constitution. Justice Story referred to Jefferson in reaching this conclusion. Jefferson wrote that ``the laying of taxes is the power, and the general welfare is the purpose.'' So you can tax people generally, but you have to spend the money generally. It has to be what is good for everyone in America. It can't be good for the ``Bubba Gump Shrimp Museum'' in Louisiana.…”