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Brian Doherty explains why he's skeptical about the line-item veto as a method for cutting pork.
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|2.22.06 @ 2:12PM|#
For those wanting a summary of Doherty's solution to the problem:
Throw your hands up in the air as a posture.
|2.22.06 @ 2:33PM|#
"Throw your hands up in the air as a posture"
Or maybe as simple as recognition of the reality that in an unlimited (or nearly so) democracy, there's nothing you can do to stop pork. That's the way the system works, and when you get right down to it, is the way it's supposed to work. Once again, the public choice folks have literally tons of stuff on this.
Arguing about ending pork in our current system is pointless. Might as well propose biological "reforms" to get death out of life...
|2.22.06 @ 3:22PM|#
I'm going to throw my hands in the air like I just don't care.
Wirkman Virkkala|2.22.06 @ 3:50PM|#
I'm less than convinced by the skepticism. One doesn't expect miracles from a line-item veto, but doesn't "every little bit count"? The only time in recent history that government growth was really and successfully pealed back (under divided government in the so-called Clinton years) it was by negotiating each bit. If the president has more negotiating power to CUT (but not directly INCREASE) spending, it might help the process, no?
But the real evidence for the effectiveness of the line-item veto was the swiftness with which the Democratic Congress took impoundment away from the presidency, after Nixon had overstepped his bounds and "lost face." They nabbed that power quickly, and corrupted the budgetting system at the same time. Why? They wanted to spend unhindered, and Nixon had used impoundment against Congress in increasingly big portions.
I'd rather have back impoundment, really, but the line-item veto might be nice, too.
But OF COURSE these aren't panaceas. We need all sorts of things, like term limits and IRV and maybe a whole lot more.
|2.22.06 @ 4:51PM|#
I am not holding my breath until the Republicans (who controlled both houses of Congress last time I checked) vote to limit their ability to reward campaign contributors with spending favors, even if there happens to be a Republican in the White House. They can do similar things with tax breaks, but those are limited to a contributor's tax liability, whereas there is no limit to how much you can have the government spend on people who will reward you with $1000 a plate dinners.