02-16-2009, 11:30 AM
Quote:I would envision a government which does not steal money from the people to pay for pork projects. Some day our children or grandchildren will hate this generation for all this excessive spending while borrowing from the future tax payers. Gerrymandering is no more a danger than it already is, and if the people put up with criminality, then they deserve what they already have now, a kakistocracy.
Robbery. It's just robbery. And, it's not just the D's, but I single these two out because they are the fargin leaders of the House and the Senate. If they are doing this, what are the less scrupulous doing?
Both Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi are popular in their districts. Your measure would do nothing to them. Pork makes you popular in your district and unpopular everywhere else. It would create a perverse incentive to do exactly what you are trying to prevent.
If your idea is that Gerrymandering is not going to be affected by an added incentive to Gerrymander, then I'm not sure what to say. Seems pretty obvious to me. Joe Democrat and Jane Republican get together, probably along with their state level equivalents, shake hands, and turn their 45-55 and 55-45 districts into 30-70 and 70-30 districts. Hey presto, instant pay raise for both.
-Jester