A Tunnel for Turtles

The U.S. Congress often passes spending bills that contain "earmarks" (added amendments), which are quite often ridiculous pork projects.

"Absolutely, we need earmark reform, and when I am president, I will go line by line to make sure that we are not spending money unwisely." Barack Obama -- declared in his first debate with John McCain during the presidential cycle of 2008.

When Barack Obama became president he vowed, "You know, the days of just pork coming out of Congress as a strategy -- those days are over."

In February of 2009, President Obama signed the so-called "Stimulus Bill" -- not only did this piece of legislation fail to stimulate the economy, but it also contained many pork projects, including the following

• $3,400,000 to build a tunnel for turtles providing safe passage under a Florida road.

• $8,408 to Florida Atlantic University to test whether mice get drunk after consuming alcohol.

• $389,357 to pay college students in Buffalo, NY, to record their volume of daily marijuana usage and malt liquor drinking.

• $100,000 to a theater, inspired by Che Guevara, in Minnesota to produce socially-conscious puppet shows.

• $1,200,000 for a study of erectile dysfunction in obese men in the San Francisco area.

• $384,949 to Yale University for a study titled "Sexual Conflict, Social Behavior, and the Evolution of Waterfowl Genitalia."

• $600,000 to distribute trees to wealthy Denver neighborhoods.

• $152,000 for a study to prepare lesbians for adoptive parenthood.

• $1,300,000 for signs reading "Project Funded by Recovery and Reinvestment Act."

Perhaps, President Obama was merely making grandiose statements to make himself look good, rather than being honest about his true character and lack of conviction.

"It is a popular delusion that the government wastes vast amounts of money through inefficiency and sloth. Enormous effort and elaborate planning are required to waste this much money.” P.J. O'Rourke

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Quote for the Day -- “I predict future happiness for Americans, if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.” Thomas Jefferson

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Bret Burquest is the author of 11 books. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a few dogs and where more government always means less freedom.

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