A recent article on CNN.com highlights the progress (or lack thereof) Democrats have made in creating a more open, honest Congress, particularly with regard to government spending.
Link here: Despite promises, few in House make earmark requests public
Lest I be troll rated on my very first diary for going negative, I have made those who DID respond the "heroes" of this diary. Nevertheless, positive or negative, this is an important issue for all of us, particularly as we look forward to ’08. We need Democrats in office who not only talk the talk of legislative transparency, but follow through with their actions. Follow the link above to the CNN site to see how your representative responded, or go below the fold for my summary and suggestions on appropriate carrots and sticks to get more than just talk on this issue.
CNN contacted all 435 members of the house to see if they would make public their requests for earmarks.
Staffers for only 31 of the 435 members of the House contacted by CNN between Wednesday and Friday of last week supplied a list of their earmark requests for fiscal year 2008, which begins on October 1, or pointed callers to Web sites where those earmark requests were posted.
Of the remainder, 68 declined to provide CNN with a list, and 329 either didn't respond to requests or said they would get back to us, and didn't.
Obviously the vast majority of our elected representatives did not respond to CNN’s "survey." Perhaps this should be a concern and perhaps not. They were contacted between Wednesday and Friday of last week and the results were published today, so it’s possible that some officials or their staff did not have time to respond appropriately. Perhaps further contact will elicit a willingness to reveal the pet projects that taxpayer money frequently funds. If your (Democratic) representative did not reply to this request, you may consider writing a letter to him or her requesting that this information be made public. Remind them that it’s not about getting elected; it’s about governing. If Democrats fail to participate in the openness and honesty of government that was promised to the American people in the 2006 elections, we will begin to see our numbers slide AND our quality of government deteriorate.
What is more disconcerting than the lack of response is the number of "No" answers or refusals. I am not calling anyone out, but there are some notables whose offices simply refused to reveal information about his or her earmark requests to CNN. If earmarks are used to please the constituents and show that you are representing your district by bringing tax dollars home for good use locally, wouldn’t you be proud to claim those requests? What is open and honest about refusing media requests for information that seems very pertinent to the electorate?
If you are lucky enough to have a Democratic congressman (sadly I’m not) but he or she refused to disclose his or her earmark requests, I suggest you write a letter asking why. We need open and honest government and the American people elected Democrats looking for change. Sure this is just one area that needs changing, but the need is dire.
By the time all responses were received, 44 Representatives (more than the original 31 referenced in the article) had responded, of which 12 were Democrats. As promised, the list of Democrats who published their earmark requests (or directed CNN to a site where the information was readily available) is below. If one of these fine individuals represents you in your district, I strongly suggest that you write them a thank you note and tell them how proud you are that they represent you in the United States Congress. Furthermore, please make a special effort to support them vocally and actively (and with your wallet) in future elections.
California 53 - Rep. Susan A. Davis (D)
Colorado 02 - Rep. Mark Udall (D)
Florida 11 - Rep. Kathy Castor (D)
Florida 20 - Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D)
Florida 23 - Rep. Alcee L. Hastings (D)
Texas 29 - Rep. Gene Green (D)
New Jersey 01 - Rep: Robert E. Andrews (D)
New York 20 - Rep. Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D)
Illinois 05 - Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D)
Kansas 02 - Rep. Nancy Boyda (D)
Kansas 03 - Rep. Dennis Moore (D)
Tennessee 05 - Rep. Jim Cooper (D)
I have been lurking for a while and hoped for a more dynamic topic to write my first diary about, but this story really stuck with me and I wanted to comment. All feedback, whether factual, structural or otherwise is welcome.