tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30306615.post1087011116359598543..comments2024-02-28T11:29:36.860-05:00Comments on just up the pike: the definition of silver spring, always subject to change (updated!)Dan Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10594208011755406956noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30306615.post-8794721188094674272007-03-10T21:23:00.000-05:002007-03-10T21:23:00.000-05:00I listened to a speech from a former congressman w...I listened to a speech from a former congressman where he preached how bad the Republicans are in communicating there message to their base and to the public, and how the public does not know anything about what the republicans got done in the 109th congress. And while he was going on about the issues that the Republicans got done, he was also talking about the "earmarks". He explained to the conservative crowd, that "earmarks are les than one tenth of a percent of the federal budget" witch is a stunning fact that makes me wonder why this is the concern of our time in the conservative community.<BR/><BR/>As he finished his speech, I walked up to him and told him "Mr. Congressman, I might be wrong but I recall reading an article in the Wall St. Journal, about an official in CO criticizing an earmark that Sen. Allard (R-CO) inserted in a spending bill, saying that it takes away the money the State gets from the federal government." So I asked the Hon. Congressman "Is it true that when a congressman or senator inserts an earmark in a spending bill, he does not raise spending? That he just takes away the liberty from one bureaucrat to decide how to spend the money and decides himself where the money should go?"<BR/><BR/>The answer was yes.<BR/><BR/>So if earmarks do not raise spending and it's not more then one tenth of one percent of the budget, why is there so much noise about it?<BR/><BR/>Because we do not communicate, and nobody amongst us is aware of the facts. We have to start communicating, and shouldn't be afraid that someone will slam us, because if you fight back, you have a chance of winning, and if you don’t fight you don’t even have a chance of winning.Guruhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16086116833267863434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30306615.post-15777327498491408432007-03-09T15:29:00.000-05:002007-03-09T15:29:00.000-05:00Thanks for linking to The Silver Spring Penguin's ...Thanks for linking to <A HREF="http://silverspringpenguin.com/2007/03/08/entertainment-21/" REL="nofollow">The Silver Spring Penguin</A>'s coverage of The Fighting Janes.<BR/><BR/>By the way, the band <A HREF="http://silverspringpenguin.com/2007/03/08/entertainment-21/#comments" REL="nofollow">left a message</A> for you on my site.<BR/><BR/>Best wishes,<BR/><BR/>Jennifer Deseo<BR/>Editor, The Silver Spring PenguinAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com