When he said that he was going to do things differently he must have meant differently than someone with common sense would do them. 9287 earmarks is insane. Check out this "short" list of pork. You will be amazed at what your congressman wants to spend your money on. I have to point out my senator from Alabama Richard Shelby has a few things on the list like $800,000 for oyster rehab and $819,000 for catfish genome research. He will hear from me. Make sure that your's hears from you.

This article from the Heritage Foundation is a great read on this issue. Here's a little taste:

In the past six months, Congress has enacted a $700 billion financial bailout and a $1.1 trillion stimulus. It has also expanded health insurance subsidies and is considering an expensive homeowner bailout. Now, with an 8 percent discretionary spending hike, Congress has seemingly lost the ability to say "no." Runaway spending and budget deficits threaten to steeply increase interest rates and eventually result in painful tax increases. If Congress cannot even reduce the number of pork projects in this environment, there is little reason to believe it is ready to make the truly difficult choices on large programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. If Congress cannot strip the unnecessary earmarks and pare back the spending increase in this omnibus bill, the President should show the nation he is well prepared to use his veto pen.

... and a little bit more:

Even a recession and record $1.4 trillion budget deficit has not altered Congress's business-as-usual culture of spending and pork. While families and entrepreneurs are responsibly bringing their own budgets under control, Congress is spending and earmarking as if nothing has changed in the economy. The House has already passed—and the Senate will soon take up—a mammoth FY 2009 omnibus appropriation bill[1] that:

• Provides an 8 percent discretionary spending hike for the second consecutive year;
• Combines with the "stimulus" bill for a staggering 80 percent increase in these discretionary programs;
• May contribute to a permanent $2,000 per-household tax hike;
• Contains 9,287 pork projects at a cost of nearly $13 billion; and
• Likely terminates the Washington, D.C., school voucher program, removing 1,715 low-income students from their current schools.

This bill represents nearly everything Democrats had criticized about the earlier Republican Congresses. It forces lawmakers to vote quickly on a bloated package combining nine separate appropriations bills. It irresponsibly expands the already-record budget deficit. And despite strongly worded proclamations about cleaning up Washington, the 2009 appropriation bills will have the second-most earmarks in history. During this time of recession and skyrocketing budget deficits, America cannot afford budgets that continue to spend and earmark as usual.

Stay alert, keep an eye on The Obamessiah and this insane congress and stay in touch with your congressman and senators.

Obama’s Budget Is Just Pork Wrapped In More Pork is a post from: NobamaZone