Catalogue of FY 2010 Earmarks

Found the following list of earmarks being requested by our elected officials via a post on JasonPye.com. Very, very interesting...

Washington Watch Blog:
Posted by Jim Harper, April 12, 2009 at 4:11 pm
(Updated July 19, 2009 to include Senate reforms and links)
In March, the House Appropriations Committee announced reforms to the earmark process, which members of Congress use to designate federal funds for projects in their districts.
The reform requires members to post their earmark requests online, including the proposed recipient, the address of the recipient, the amount of the request, and an explanation of the purpose of the earmark and why it is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds. The Senate has done the same.
http://www.washingtonwatch.com/blog/2009/04/12/catalogue-of-fy-2010-earmarks/

In case you're wondering (but I bet you're not if you follow my blog), I don't like earmarks, want to see them scrapped and think it's great that Lynn Westmoreland, Tom Price and others won't touch 'em.

Secret Union Ballot Resolution Passes GA Senate

Responding to the threat of federal legislation that threatens a worker's right to a secret ballot regarding labor union organization, the Georgia State Senate passed Senate Resolution 49, an urging resolution protecting the sanctity of the secret ballot.

Urging resolutions are used by the state Senate to take a formal position on an issue and to pass this along to federal elected officials. SR 49 passed with a bi-partisan vote of 31-18.

“The right that a worker has to a secret ballot is in danger. SR 49 addresses this danger and sends a clear message to Georgia’s federal delegation, Republicans and Democrats, that the current labor laws that protect workers and employers must be preserved,” said Jared Thomas, Americans for Prosperity-Georgia State Director.

“Senator Preston Smith, sponsor of the resolution, is to be commended for his recognition of the issue and his positive action," said Thomas.

While some argue that urging resolutions are simply window dressing, current federal elected officials disagree.

“I commend the Georgia Senate to for taking a pro-active position and opposing the so-called ‘Employee Free Choice Act’ that would put American businesses and workers at a competitive disadvantage,” said Congressman Lynn Westmoreland.

“As a former member of the Georgia General Assembly, I know that urging resolutions are not passed lightly and that they reflect the views of Georgians who sent me to Washington to represents their interests. As a current member of Congress, I will make sure the state position is well known in our delegation. The people of Georgia and the members of our General Assembly can rest assured that their Republican representatives in Congress will actively oppose the card check legislation and fight to worker’s right to a secret ballot.”

From Americans for Prosperity, www.AmericansforProsperity.org