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6/8/2010
Kagen, Baldwin, Moore, Obey do special favors for special interests
OpenSecrets.org and Taxpayers for Common Sense made public last week their “one-of-a-kind, comprehensive database that links campaign contributions with Fiscal 2010 earmarks of members of Congress.”
Pretty cool.
Last fiscal year… members of Congress obtained nearly 9,500 spending provisions -- worth over $15.9 billion -- for organizations that spent $269 million on lobbying, the Center for Responsive Politics and Taxpayers for Common Sense found.
These members of Congress also accepted more than $2.3 million from the political action committees and employees of the intended earmark beneficiaries -- of the $22.4 million these organizations donated to all federal candidates and parties, the Center for Responsive Politics and Taxpayers for Common Sense found.
Here’s the complete data base – congressmen and women who accept contributions from a company or organization for whom they ultimately earmark federal dollars.
As the two research organizations say in the article linked at the start,
On balance, Republicans were more likely to forgo earmark requests than Democrats last fiscal year.
Well, that’s surely the case for Wisconsin. Four (Rep.’s Tammy Baldwin, Steve Kagen, Gwen Moore, and David Obey) of our state’s five Democratic representatives make the list (Ron Kind does not). None of our Republican representatives – Petri, Ryan, Sensenbrenner – make the list. Neither do Senator Feingold nor Kohl (both of course, Dems).
Fiddle around with the data base yourself – it’s phenomenal information. For example…
Obey’s total earmarks for fiscal year 2010 were $77.6M, Kagen’s, $17.8M. However, both men set aside $4.8M in earmarks that benefited an organization from which they received campaign contributions. That means of the earmarks each man successfully sponsored or co-sponsored, 6% of Obey’s went to campaign contributors and 27% of Kagen’s earmarks went to campaign contributors.
The total contributions received from corporations benefiting from the Obey and Kagen earmarks were $3,250 and $6,500 respectively.
You can then dig into further detail for each “earmarker.” Kagen earmarks that went to Oshkosh Corp. ($1.6M) and Marinette Marine ($3.2M) were supported by campaign contributions from associated PACs or employees. Sixteen earmarks, totaling $13M, were not connected to associated campaign contributions.
Marinette Marine
$3.2M earmarks, $750 PAC contribution, $0 spent lobbying.
Oshkosh Corp.
$1.6M earmarks, $5,750 in PAC and individual contributions, $380,000 total, spent lobbying Congress
Zebra Technologies (plants in IA, RI and WA – none in Wisconsin)
$3.2M earmarks, $0 in contributions, $80,000 total, spent lobbying Congress
(What’s with the sponsorship of a big earmark for out-of-state Zebra Technologies?)
Interesting stuff, even if you’re not a wonk.
Jo Egelhoff, FoxPolitics.net
COMMENTS
Yes, on average I'm sure the republicans are less likely to submit and get earmarks passed ... but it was an all-republican congress and a republican president that started us on this massive deficit binge. Neither side of the aisle is 'above reproach' here.
There are earmarks - then there's 'taking care of your friends' and sometimes that happens in ways which aren't so obvious. Republicans would be wise to not start throwing stones when it comes to the earmark issue, their glass house may suffer the consequences.
Time for a change - from incumbents to total outsiders who have bothered to take the time to read the Constitution and openly proclaim their commitment to restoring our focus on the original intent of that document.
No thank you Crony Capitalists, no thank you Socialists ... yes please "all men are created equal" and free market supporters.
Jeff Riedl (Tue Jun 08 08:16:34 2010)
Yes, Jeff is correct, at least to a point. Although crony capitalism is only a small part of it. It is that campaign money works as intended; it buys government spending that results in high taxes and deficits. Note that only Feingold, Baldwin, Kagen and Kind have signed onto the Fair Elections Now Act. If the R's are serious they'll get behind this measure. So far they are not.
And I agree that we need a 100% turnover, of both D's and R's. But I also believe that until 100% of Americans are honest and don't want to steal other people's wealth, we must keep reasonable regulations. The Constitution by itself is not enough.
Jack Lohman (Tue Jun 08 09:31:45 2010)
Are we to believe that overspending and the deficit started in 2000? I think a look farther back would show this has been going on for decades. How does a trillion over 8 years equal 13 trillion in 18 months which is where our deficit stands right now?
George Bush didn't do right when he didn't veto those huge budgets and I'd be the first to admit that.
So we have to give the Constitution more help. As in omitting the first amendment "Freedom of speech" part.
I clicked on the link to "Fair Elections Now Act", then "About Fair Elections", then "Coalition Members". Almost every leftwing group is signed onto this which would give pause to any conservative. Unions are included who have donated huge amounts to Democrat candidates. How will they become eligible? By making members send donations individually as they're filling out their cards during "card check"?
This act is dishonest on the face of it. More government interference is not any kind of solution. Less government would do it.
C.R. Stevenson (Tue Jun 08 12:06:32 2010)
C.R., I don't know your background or if you are or have been a business owner. But I have been, and guarantee that if you ever had an employee taking cash on the side to give away company assets, your company would not survive.
Neither will our country, as we are finding that out today. Our politicians are doing exactly that and we tolerate them. The Fair Elections Act is not perfect but it is progress. And Yes, it is more left-leaning support than right, because the R's get $8 in business contributions to every $1 labor gives. The left wants a level playing field and feel this is a way to get it.
I just want honest government.
You are right on the "freedom of speech" issue as it relates to politicians. Get the money out of the political system and I doubt that either one of us would care which party was in control. They'd both be fighting in the best interest of the people. They'd be making good business decisions, not political decisions.
See http://www.wicleanelections.org/
Jack Lohman (Tue Jun 08 12:49:41 2010)
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