WAMs-plank

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* The US Congress, the PA Legislature and even County and City Governments, including school boards, need to institute earmarking reform. 
** Some clear-as-day legislation would require every earmark in every bill to have the requesting lawmaker’s name next to it. 
There have been too many questions raised about the unethical use of earmarks to allow this process to continue in secrecy. 
* All legislation needs to be available to taxpayers via the internet 72 hours before a vote so lawmakers and the public know what is being voted on. 
A heavy dose of sunshine is a good disinfectant. Earmarking is murky and a thorough cleaning is long past due. Fuller disclosure would reduce the overall number of earmarks.
Bad earmarks that inevitably make it into bills need to face provisions that enable citizens and other legislative members to challenge individual earmarks through a budgetary point of order. In the US Senate, a challenged earmark would need 60 votes to survive, making it tougher for future “bridges to nowhere” to make it through. This would also help ensure that earmarked funds are going to the most worthy projects.
category:Platform_Planks_from_Mark_Rauterkus