In an amazing turn of events, after initially refusing to do so, Gabby Giffords released her complete list of Congressional Pork requests. Only 7 months into her first term as a member of Congress and Gabby has shockingly shed her fiscal responsibility clothing to demand her $327,000,000 in 42 pork projects. This is an ironic turn leftward after Gabby had been inducted into the so-called fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats group.
For someone who calls themselves fiscally responsible, it is going to be hard for her to keep that image when her $327 million far exceeds that of Raul Grijalva’s $178 million. Raul Grijalva mind you is rated as one of the most liberal (leftist) members of Congress, yet somehow Gabby is still considered fiscally conservative? The Blue Dog Democrats might have to go back and change the criteria for membership in their exclusive group.
Some of Gabby’s pork items include:
- $20 million for drainage work in Tucson, also requested by Grijalva
- $5.25 million for expansion of the water-treatment facility in Marana
- $12.36 million for improvements to a drainage ditch in Douglas
- $2 million to pay for monitoring of the San Pedro River
- $1 million for solar panels on the Tucson Convention Center
It is highly unlikely that tax-paying citizens in Green Valley (part of Gabby’s district) are going to be thrilled about their $12 million of their taxes going to drainage ditches in Douglas or to $20 million to drainage work in a city that doesn’t have storm drains (Tucson). Yet, being the loyal liberal she is, she believes that tax returns should come in the form of government spending that very few people will benefit from. In fact, Gabby has refused to disclose the names of companies that would benefit from her pork projects, who are probably going to be much happier about millions of dollars in government waste than her constituents are going to be.
Lets not be surprised either that Gabby is flip-flopping about her stance on pork projects. Her website has a great press release that talks about her voting against Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, H.R. 2771 which would provide $3.1 billion to fund the House of Representatives and the U.S. Capitol complex.
“Congress must lead by example. Any bill that overflows with as much wasteful spending as this one does is definitely not the kind of example I want to set. The residents of Southeastern Arizona expect me to keep a close eye on how their hard-earned tax dollars are spent. They expect me to make sure government is held accountable. My vote against the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act is an example of me fulfilling that obligation.”
For some reason, however, her $327,000,000 in pork projects is nothing that the people are Arizona’s 8th Congressional District should worry about.
Maybe John Kerry taught Miss Giffords how to flip-flop.
Typical liberal bull crap.