Pass the Pork!

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find an example of pork barrel spending by Congress. You need to provide a brief description of who (member of Congress) and where (the state), what (the project) , and how much (your tax dollars). I need something current though and not something from 1976. It needs to be original too; you can not post something one of your classmates has previously responded with.
If you can link us to the site great.
Otherwise just copy the website address in your response.
If the info comes from a periodical, then cite it for us.

Here is an example: Washington, D.C. - Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today named Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) November 2007 Porker of the Month for airdropping a $3 million earmark for the First Tee golf program into the fiscal 2008 Department of Defense Appropriations Act conference report. First Tee’s mission, according to its website, is “To impact the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf.”

Golf lessons and military spending...hmmm? seems like this topic came up in our discussions Friday about "contaminating" a bill with off topic items.

Credit given to the first 35 original entries and is due by 3:03 on Dec. 7th.

Happy hunting for "pork".
Mr. Thompson

Congress Discussion

If you have questions you still need to ask, here's your opportunity. If you have comments based on some of the questions asked in the discussion today, here's your platform. Credit will be given to supplement the credit you earned today.

Have a safe and snowy weekend.
Mr. Thompson

Skills Talent Auction

Leave your write-up as a comment. Have fun with it:)
Here are some from last year for models.

A MUST Read

If you read nothing else from the blog this unit...read this one! The article provides a lot of great insight into some of the differences between the House and Senate and also into the daily operations of the Senate. The Art of Compromise - 'tis such a skill to possess!

As Lott Leaves The Senate, Compromise Appears To Be A Lost Art

Mr. Thompson

Rich or Not?

As we start to get ready for those difficult discussions on taxes and spending, this article whets that appetite. There are some bits that should get you guys starting to think about revenue, expenditures, deficts etc.

That's Rich, But Maybe Not For Someone Else

Mr. Thompson

Legacy of George W. Bush

As we get ready to head into the last year of our current administration, people begin to speculate of how the history books will remember this president. I know this is hard to respond objectively for all of you "red-staters" and "blue staters" but give it a shot. What do you think the textbooks will say? 1-2 sentences maximum - 1st to state your opinion and the 2nd to support it.

For Bush, Advances But Not Approval

Happy Turkey Day America (Canada's Thanksgiving is in October)
Mr. Thompson

Bookshelf

Books I'm reading. . .

Amber Spyglass by Phillip Pullman: the third in the Golden Compass series, reading it with my son.

Bush at War by Bob Woodward: first in the trilogy by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist with phenomenal access to the White House.

Oklahoma! by Rodgers and Hammerstein: getting ready for the spring musical.

Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez: Movie comes out today, re-reading and sharing with my wife.

Book of Fate by Brad Meltzer: Freemason conspiracy thriller for the commute (audiobook).

Yet another Article on the Budget

Another article as we dive into our study of Congress, the US Budget and their relationship with the President.

Bush Veto Sets Up Clash On Budget

Mr. Thompson

The Costs of War

A big part of what we study in our unit on Congress is taxes and spending. Congress controls the purse strings. A report released by a Joint Committee (you'll learn what a joint committee is later) estimates the cost to US taxpayers of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is the one part of the class where most of the students get the most upset...our national debt, our yearly deficits and the future of America's youth who inherit this spending.

Hidden Costs of Two Wars

Enjoy!!
Mr. Thompson

and also. . . check out when you sort to Rochester, MN the cost equivalent college scholarships. . .

Cost of the War in Iraq

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To see more details, click here.

Crack vs Cocaine

Mr. Decker referenced these federal sentencing guidelines in class one day. Now an independent panel is looking at making sentencing modifications that could release almost 4000 crack users and traffickers. If they do make the recommendation, Congress will have to take up the topic for consideration. The Bush administration's opinion is found within the article also.

My question for you to consider when contemplating 4000 federal felons being released to the US streets... Where is the cocaine user today who was sentenced on the exact same day 5-10 years ago as the crack user?

Panel May Cut Sentences For Crack

Welcome to our study of Congress and 2nd quarter.
Mr. Thompson

Congress vs President

History has been made! Check out the following article "Congress Hands Bush First Veto Override"

Hope you have all had a great first quarter and are as excited as Mr. Decker and I are for the second half.

Mr. Thompson

Love those drugs!

Still looking for Sunday night support? Check out this chart at Wired showing the rise of feel good drugs in just the past five years!

And, tangentially, Blade Runner is a classic sci-fi from '82 I mentioned in class, though it's dark. After 25 years the director thinks he's finally finished it. It's in theaters this month (along with Beowulf!).

And, since I'm totally random now, here's the iconic movie scream all our budding videographers should sneak into their presentations.

Cheers!

November 1st - Snowflakes anyone?

As we get ready to close our study of those that influence the government a.k.a. linkage institutions, here is an article from that darn "liberal" media trying to stir up more anti-sentiment for the current administration.
or
As we get ready to close our study of those that influence the government a.k.a. linkage institutions, here is an article from that "4th branch of gov't" trying to make sure the public has the facts about what the gov't is doing.

From the Desk of Donald Rumsfeld

Read the article, you'll figure out where the snowflake reference comes from. Respond with your thoughts about the media's responsibility to the gov't and/or to the American people. (Don't tell me what you think about Donald Rumsfeld). Must be posted by the end of the quarter.

Also I have attached an article reporting on the confirmation hearing of Michael Mukasey as the next Attorney General. Feel free to reference this article for your response above. Keep in mind what your task is and what it isn't!!

Mukasey and Waterboarding

Mr. Thompson