"The Bright Light of Accountabilty"

When a bill has to be passed "to avoid economic catastrophe", there is clearly nothing you can't add to it. Democrat majority whip James Clyburn said: "We came together in a very strong, bipartisan way to deliver this decisive victory for the American people." Whether the bailout is a victory or not is still in question, but the $100 billion in pork added surely isn't. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejoiced that the "The bright light of accountability will protect the taxpayer." Accountability? From these people?

Taxpayers for Common Sense list the Top 10 Sweeteners in the Bill:

1. Sec. 503. Exemption from excise tax for certain wooden arrows designed for use by children
2. Sec. 317. Seven-year cost recovery period for motorsports racing track facility
3. Sec. 308. Increase in limit on cover over of rum excise tax to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
4. Sec. 301. Extension and modification of research credit
5. Sec. 504. Income averaging for amounts received in connection with the Exxon Valdez litigation
6. Sec. 601. Secure rural schools and community self-determination program.
7. Sec. 201. Deduction for state and local sales taxes
8. Sec 502. Provisions related to film and television productions
9. Sec. 325. Extension and modification of duty suspension on wool products; wool research fund; wool duty refunds
10. Sec. 309. Extension of economic development credit for American Samoa

We must ask less of our government. Not that they perform more poorly, but that they just perform less often.