At first blush, I like your idea of Congress meeting all budget deadlines before considering earmarks. But your article contains the contradiction to that thesis: those earmarks are supposedly necessary tradeoffs to pass any budget! Hence, once they meet those deadlines, there's no motive to haggle over gimmes for particular constituencies.
As for blame, that's a chicken and egg dilemma. Politicians promise goodies, voters love the goodies and so the cycle starts, never to be broken. Our broken political institutions reflect our broken culture; short-sighted politicians our shortsighted voters.
A new constitution would forbid the national government from funding any non-nationwide projects, and would adopt a single rate personal tax, no corporate or business tax (only humans can pay taxes!), with a single high personal deduction. No special breaks, no special toys. Thus no special interests. If a state's citizens want to build something they can raise their own funds for that -- we know the money is there; we keep wasting it on stuff not in our national interests. We do not need Uncle Sam to be a discount candy co-op of which we are all involuntary paying subscribers.
Or .... they simply ignore the deadlines like they've ignored all other budget constraints over the last half century.
At first blush, I like your idea of Congress meeting all budget deadlines before considering earmarks. But your article contains the contradiction to that thesis: those earmarks are supposedly necessary tradeoffs to pass any budget! Hence, once they meet those deadlines, there's no motive to haggle over gimmes for particular constituencies.
As for blame, that's a chicken and egg dilemma. Politicians promise goodies, voters love the goodies and so the cycle starts, never to be broken. Our broken political institutions reflect our broken culture; short-sighted politicians our shortsighted voters.
A new constitution would forbid the national government from funding any non-nationwide projects, and would adopt a single rate personal tax, no corporate or business tax (only humans can pay taxes!), with a single high personal deduction. No special breaks, no special toys. Thus no special interests. If a state's citizens want to build something they can raise their own funds for that -- we know the money is there; we keep wasting it on stuff not in our national interests. We do not need Uncle Sam to be a discount candy co-op of which we are all involuntary paying subscribers.