State and USAID spend borrowed money from China to make “green improvements” to Chinese cities

Hat Tip to my U.S. Senator (Dr.) Tom Coburn from twitter

The U.S. State Department and USAID increased the national debt, much of which is owned by China, for deficit spending to finance "green and efficient buildings" in Chinese cities.

This increase to the national debt, now nearing $11 trillion, is for unproven remedies to curb an unproven problem, man-made "global warming." The combined value of the awards is $2.97 million.

Coburn Report Highlights Worst Waste of 2008

Report Includes More Than $1.3 Billion in Pet Projects, Frivolous Grants and Other Ridiculous Spending

Oklahoma U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, M.D. (R) ranking member of the Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, today released the oversight report “2008: Worst Waste of the Year.” The look back on 2008 features absurd federal spending from beltway bureaucrats and elected officials. To view the entire report click here.

“As we look back on federal spending for 2008, American taxpayers will laugh, and then cry at how their elected officials spent their hard-earned dollars. Not even these tough economic times have dulled Congress’ ability to find new and creative ways to waste taxpayer dollars,” Dr. Coburn said.

Examples of waste in 2008 include:

• $188,000 for Lobster Institute in Maine,
home of the “LobsterCam”

• $1 million for bike paths on Louisiana levees
while levees await basic repairs

• $2.4 million for a retractable shade canopy
at a park in West Virginia

• $24.6 million for the National Park Service’s
100th year birthday in 2016 - 8 years early

• $3.2 million on a blimp the Pentagon
does not want

• $367,000 wasted by a Texas school board
on items like an inflatable alligator
and under-the-sea waterslide, among other things

• $5 million for a bridge to a zoo parking lot in St. Louis

• $9,000 for a non-functioning airplane-shaped
gas station in Tennessee

• $300,000 for specialty potatoes for high-end restaurants

“The waste highlighted in this report is only a fraction of the more than $385 billion the federal government throws away every year through waste, fraud and duplication.

Yet, each example in this report is a snapshot that tells a larger story, just as the Bridge to Nowhere justifiably became a symbol of the corrupting nature of earmarks.

The story the American people already understand is that Congress’ inability to make common sense decisions about spending priorities is putting our children’s future at risk.

Until Congress abandons the short-term parochialism that gives us LobsterCams and inflatable alligators, we will never get a handle on the major economic challenges facing this country,” Dr. Coburn said.

Jack Murtha: Still the King of Pork

CBS Evening News does a piece on why Murtha's spending spree hurts taxpayers.

Is It Pork Barrel Spending? You Decide...

"Earmarks" are getting a lot of attention in Congress right now. However, the process of using taxpayer money to fund pet projects is not exclusive to Washington, D.C. Oklahoma state lawmakers have been using the same pork-barrel spending system for decades. News On 6 anchor Terry Hood in a News On 6 Investigation reports on why it became so popular.

"We could've used a whole lot more," said former state senator J. Berry Harrison.


Earmarks helped make J. Berry Harrison a popular man in his hometown. In his 16 years in the state Senate, he approved all kinds of handouts for his district. One of the biggest was a $100,000 grant for the renovation of Fairfax's famous Tallchief Theatre. Harrison agrees with the old saying that it's only pork-barrel spending when you don't get any.

"Probably the criticism might come from another senator's district who would like to have the money for himself," said J. Berry Harrison.

"The money that was spent in my district, or whoever got it, is probably the best money spent," said State Rep. Lucky Lamons, (D) Sand Springs.


State representative Lucky Lamons says earmarks allowed him to help all kinds of worthy causes. But he acknowledges some state lawmakers found a way to abuse the system.

"Was there an avenue? Sure. My father used to have a saying, he used to say, 'son, not all knights are noble not all maidens fair,'" said State Rep. Lucky Lamons.

The state legislature uses appropriations bills to spell out how it spends most of your tax dollars. But party leaders also set aside millions of dollars for certain lawmakers to earmark as “special project" or "pass through" money. The money earned that name because it "passed through" Oklahoma's 11 sub-state planning districts, called Councils of Government, or COGs for short.

Legislators have been funding earmarks through the COGs for decades, making it difficult to track who asked for them, and where the money actually went. The News On 6 contacted each individual COG and dig through five years' worth of documents. We uncovered millions of dollars of your money being spent on earmarks from Altus to Vinita, from Broken Bow to Beaver.

You paid to fix the fence at the confederate cemetery in Atoka.

You bought two ceremonial bugles for the VFW post in Sand Springs.

Spent $260,000 to promote tourism at the Har-Ber Village at Grand Lake.

Paid for a rodeo to benefit the town of Chelsea.

Lights at the ballpark in Verden.

You spent $100,000 for international recruitment at the Nigh Institute in Edmond. You built a health facility in Beckham County.

You paid the salary of a translator at Birth Choice of Oklahoma.

And you furnished the cash to complete the "Headin' to Market" statue at the Stockyards in Oklahoma City.

"Did some people take advantage of it? You betcha. Are they under investigation? You betcha. Is one going to go to the penitentiary? Pretty much it looks like it is," said State representative Lucky Lamons.

Lucky Lamons is referring to Mike Mass. Mass is the former Hartshorne state representative who pleaded guilty to mail fraud in what prosecutors say was a scheme to use the “pass-through” system to set up his own kickback. He’s awaiting sentencing in an ongoing federal investigation that involves at least three other former legislators.

"I think the governor saw this and thought there was some inappropriate money being sent and that's why he vetoed it," said State Rep. Lucky Lamons.


The Governor turned off the special project pipeline in 2005, but not before lawmakers used millions of dollars for questionable earmarks. The University of Tulsa got $20,000 to buy video equipment for its football team. How would a private university receive state funds for its athletic program?

"They're all constituent requests. Whatever projects that I would have supported were all constituent requests," said former state senator Kevin Easley.

According to records from the Eastern Oklahoma Development District, a COG based in Muskogee, Kevin Easley earmarked that money. Easley lives in Broken Arrow, and is a TU graduate. Now the CEO of the Grand River Dam Authority, Easley says he does not recall details of the earmarks he sent through the EODD when he was a state senator. That would include the $225,000 which records show he earmarked to a group called the Broken Arrow Community Center Foundation.

"That was a project that the voters of Broken Arrow voted for, and supported and constituents had asked for," said Kevin Easley.


Broken Arrow voters did approve a million-dollar bond issue to buy land for a new community center on the east side, a project that is still in the planning stages. But those voters may not have known about Senator Easley's personal connection to it.

"My wife's a volunteer and once the land is secured she will continue to be a volunteer," said Kevin Easley.

But the chairman of the foundation says Easley's wife was more than a volunteer.

"She worked hard on, putting all this together," said Larry Allison with the BA Community Center Foundation.

Broken Arrow realtor Larry Allison says the foundation hired her as executive director. He also says one of the board members is her father. That means two of former senator Easley's family members were involved with the foundation, when he earmarked $225,000 in state funds for it.

News On 6 asked Larry Allison. “You can see where that, why some people might object to that." Larry Allison responded, "Well, I can tell you that she worked very, very hard in what we were trying to accomplish. And that's all I can tell you. How other people look at it is their problem."

The News On 6 wanted to talk to Dee Ann Easley about her work with the Broken Arrow Community Center Foundation, but she never returned our phone calls. Governor Brad Henry used a line-item veto to temporarily halt earmarks, but there is no law to stop

KOTV - 11/28/2007 10:00 PM - Updated 11/29/2007 6:08 AM

Tax Relief Vrs. Pork

Last week I was surprised when the leadership of
one of the groups which has traditionally supported
smaller government came out in opposition to
reducing taxes. The comments were made by leaders
of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce
and the Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce at a
recent hearing of the House of Representative's
Economic Development and Financial Services
Committee.

I have always articulated the common sense
belief that the best way to reduce the size of
government is through reducing the level of
taxation. With less money, the government
will naturally tend to prioritize the limited
number of functions it should be involved in
and leave the rest to the free market. I have
also observed that groups who oppose tax
relief are probably afraid of having a pet
program of their own de-funded by this
prioritization process.

It has become clear that the leadership of
the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of
Commerce understands this viewpoint all
too well. And, shockingly, they appear to fear
that if state government continues to cut taxes,
one of their pet programs may not be funded to
their level of satisfaction.

The pet program is known as the Oklahoma
Opportunity Fund. It is funded with $45 million
of our taxpayer dollars. Most of that money has
already been spent. Because the manner in which
the fund was created has been ruled unconstitutional,
the sole discretion for how the money is spent appears
to have been left to Governor Brad Henry. Henry
recently approved spending $10 million out of the
fund on improvements benefiting a privately owned
airline.

In opposing the continuation of tax relief for
Oklahomans, the economic development director
of the Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce said, "I
would take the Opportunity Fund over future tax
cuts in a heartbeat."

I do not believe it is right for the government to
take money away from taxpayers and give it to
targeted businesses. I certainly do not think it is
right that politicians are given the power to play
God when it comes to deciding who the winners
are in the business world. The process of
government subsidizing business operations is
completely contrary to the important free market
principles that empower consumers to decide who
will be successful, based on which business is
providing the best product at the best price.

I do not believe it is appropriate for chambers of
commerce to advocate for a fund that benefits
such a small number of business. This is at the
expense of all the hard working business owners
across Oklahoma who are forced to pay high taxes
which inhibit their abilityto grow their own businesses.

And, I do not think it is right or fair for Opportunity
Fund money to be used to entice new businesses to
move to Oklahoma when they will be competing with
businesses that are already in Oklahoma. Taxing one
business and then giving money to a competitor is not
right.

This latest position reflects one more step in what
is becoming a disturbing trend. Big business is
partnering with and being empowered by big
government. I believe it is important for the small
business members of the Chambers of Commerce
across Oklahoma to reassert themselves and reclaim
control of the organization that is supposed to
represent all Oklahoma businessmen, not a select
few.



--~--~---------~--~----~--------
State Representative Jason W. Murphey
Vice-Chairman Homeland Security Committee
State Capitol Building Room #400B
2300 North Lincoln Blvd
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105
1(405) 557-7350 (Phone)
1(800) 522-8502 X 350
1(405) 962-7660 (Fax)
www.HouseDistrict31.com
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---

RIED - William O. Pitts and The Journal Record coming after...

I think its very odd that William O. Pitts and The
Journal Record, In now two story/opinion would
single out State Sen. Anthony Sykes, and try to
make him look like He is NOT Pro Business !

Just like Dr. Tom Coburn, Senator Syker is
ANTI-PORK !!!!

And that something that the so call "pro business"
RIED is NOT, They LOVE PORK and to spend out
Tax Dollar for pets issues !!

Senator Syker is one of two State Senator (The
other being State Senator Randy Brogdom),
that try to hold the line with the pro-pork
GOP group's at the State Capitol.

It look like, that Pro-Pork Republican's, are
coming after Anti-Pork Republican, up for
re-election in 2008, more about this in due time.

Are the Pro-Pork Republican trying to make
Senator Syker, look bad ? Only time and more
old media news story will tell...


http://www.journalrecord.com/article.cfm?recid=83076

OPINION
Pitts: Lawyer legislators – their score on business issues

by William O. Pitts
The Journal RecordOctober 29, 2007

Attorney members of the Oklahoma Legislature averaged better than a passing score in voting on business issues during the 2007 session, according to data released by the Research Institute for Economic Development, which prepared an annual report card on how legislators voted on more than 200 business, jobs and economic development issues.

That concept of the Legislature was true years ago when the House might have as many as 30 lawyer-members and it was not uncommon for more than half of the 48-member Senate to be attorneys. One reason for it was the public's idea that lawyers, by reason of their profession and interests, should make good lawmakers.

Only 11 of the 101 current House members are lawyers, while 15 of the 48 state senators list their occupation as attorneys. These 26 legislators (14 Republicans and 12 Democrats) are a mere 17 percent of the 149 legislative members.

What has proven true in recent years is that no profession, business endeavor or specific area of public interest has a corner on the ability to provide competent legislators.

With trained staff personnel available as bill drafters and researchers, any legislator is able have his ideas formed into workable legislative measures.

More business people run for the Legislature today than in the past, often reducing the number of lawyers running or getting elected.

Before lawyers were allowed to advertise many attorneys ran for the Legislature to get public notice. If they were elected it was helpful in getting legal business.

Another contributing factor to the image of a lawyer-dominated Legislature is that for 26 of the last 40 years the top leadership post in the Senate has been held by attorneys.

The House is another story. During the same period attorneys were speakers for a total of 10 years, including current Speaker Lance Cargill, R-Harrah, who lists his occupation as business attorney.

The RIED scores for attorneys on business issues shows an average grade of 73 points in the House, which is above the 70 point passing grade but well below the perfect score of 100 points.

On business issues there is a definite difference in attorneys. A compilation of RIED scores for the five House Democrat attorneys indicates a failing average of 55 points.

The lowest was by state Rep. Richard Morrissette, D-OKC, with 48 points. The highest was 86 by state Rep. Scott Inman, OKC.

With Republican attorney-House members the picture is different. Those six have a RIED rating averaging 87 points with three of them, Cargill, Reps. Dan Sullivan, R-Tulsa, and Ron Peterson, R-Broken Arrow, scoring the maximum of 100 points each. The lowest score of 56 points among the Republicans was by Rep. John Trebilcock, R-Tulsa.

In the Senate the score was higher for the eight Republican and seven Democrat attorneys, with an average for all 15 of 79 points. Democrats averaged 72 points, while the Republicans averaged 86 points.

The highest RIED score among Democrats belongs to state Sen. Charlie Laster, Shawnee, with 86 points. The lowest was Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan, D-Stillwater, with 60 points.

State Sen. Anthony Sykes, R-Moore, had the lowest rating among Senate Republican attorneys with 45 points . The two highest scores belong to state Sen. Brian Crain, R-Tulsa, and Co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee, R-OKC, with 98 and 97 points respectively.

Are there too many lawyers in the Legislature?

Gov. Brad Henry, an attorney, has said there should be more of them. He seems to follow this philosophy in his gubernatorial appointments to state boards and commissions.

By the way during the four years the RIED report was issued while he was in the state Senate, Henry had a substantially failing cumulative average of 47 points.

The RIED report card shows at least one thing. The pro-business attitude of today's attorney-legislators seems to depend more on political affiliation than their profession.

William O. Pitts may be reached by phone at (405) 278-2880 or by e-mailingbill.pitts@journalrecord.com .