Too much pork

Federal money could be used on education

Over the years, the Capitol building in Washington D.C. has been home to some of America's most distinguished political orations. Yet as November draws closer, the speeches the public hears from the chambers of Congress will not resemble the flowery rhetoric of Daniel Webster or Bill Clinton; instead it will swell into one collective noise: "Oink."

That's right, "oink," because as the Presidential election draws closer, more media and public attention is focused on politics at large. With this added limelight on D.C., members of Congress - even those who aren't up for re-election or safely secured incumbents - are being pressed to flaunt their achievements. The result of this is not an increased effort to pass bipartisan legislation, but instead an informal agreement among congressmen to divide the political funding spoils by passing ludicrous legislation that brings new federal spending to each member's electoral district. The fitting term given to this corrupt for of collective bargaining is "pork-barrel legislation."

The economic effects of pork-barrel legislation are horrendous. In fact, The New York Times recently reported that Birmingham, Ala. is getting a $2 million refurbishing of the god Vulcan and 300 person town of Talkeetna, Alaska got $400,000 to improve a parking lot. These are just two of the examples of wasted federal spending. Although many federal monuments and museums need federal tax dollars to operate, pork-barrel legislation outrageously uses federal tax dollars on items that should be funded locally. Moreover, the manner in which politicians delay this legislation until just before the election - a sheer political move - is unfair to needy institutions and should be repulsive to voters.

If politicians really want to appease the electorate before an election, there are a plethora of national issues that would appeal to any congressional district. In an ideal world, congressmen would strive for these issues absent of a political motivation. They could focus an a range from campaign finance reform to health care. And who could ignore the foremost topic of them all: Education. Without a doubt, the two major party candidates, Vice-president Al Gore and Texas Governor George Bush, as well as many local politicians have identified the problems in our public schools as a priority among campaign issues. Congress would do well to follow in their example.

The lackluster performance of secondary schools, compounded with the skyrocketing costs of a college tuition makes the American education system a situation which can be ameliorated only through widespread support, both intellectual and financial, in the hallowed chambers of Congress. In today's information age, the foundation of a solid primary and secondary education is vital to the overall success of youth and ultimately the country. Expanding financial aid, such as Pell Grants and other scholarships, to help people go to college should clearly take precedence over the pet projects of congressmen.

It is time for the legislative branch to start living up to the claims they've been making for years. If Congressmen want to please their constituencies this election cycle, they shouldn't excessively waste tax dollars on legislation to create new parking lots or monuments; instead they need to create scholarships or tuition relief - that'll really bring home the bacon.