GOP does corruption best

By Libby

Earmarks are one of the big problems in our government. As I said here, they're little more than an incumbency protection racquet. The Congressman brings the bacon home to his district and the people will vote for him for bringing in the dough. This happens on both sides of the fence and I don't think either party can be excused for using our tax dollars simply to protect their seats, but the current trend among the right wing apologists to blame it all on the Democrats is misguided and deceitful. The trading of earmarks among the incumbents is as old as politics and both sides are equally guilty.

In fact, when it comes to padding the bureaucracy and bleeding the coffers for political payola, nobody does blatant corruption like the GOP. Take this situation in Philly for example.

[A] Daily News report that the Parking Authority payroll had doubled since Republicans took over six years ago, in a political coup engineered by House Republican leader John Perzel.

At least 20 Parking Authority employees are now drawing six-figure salaries, led by Vincent J. Fenerty Jr., a longtime Republican ward leader who makes $194,500 as the authority's executive director.

That's bigger than anyone on the city payroll. It's $50,000 more than Mayor Street makes and $30,000 higher than Rendell's salary.

Even worse, the Authority's profits are supposed to be used to fund the schools but they have fallen ten of millions short on the expected revenues. You can't blame that kind of failure on the government. The system is set up to deliver the money and services just fine. It's the crony corruption that's gumming up the works.