I urge you to oppose the outlandish and irresponsible spending in the fiscal 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act, H.R. 1105. Vote NO on this! It will cost taxpayers $410 billion and represents an 8 percent increase from fiscal 2008 levels. Reports indicate there are about 8750 earmarks at a cost of almost $8.0 billion. Combined with the "stimulus" package that was passed just over two weeks ago, total expenditures for some agencies represent an 80 percent increase in spending for fiscal 2009. 

The mammoth bill is fattened with pork, including such outrageous items as $1.9 million for the Pleasure Beach water taxi in Connecticut, the "water taxi to nowhere"; $1.8 million to conduct research in Iowa on "swine odor and manure management"; and $380,000 for the construction of a recreation and fairground area in Kotzebue, Alaska.

You and your colleagues in Congress need to recognize the fiscal reality of our nation's projected $1.75 trillion deficit. This is not the time to lard up the Omnibus Appropriations Act with parochial spending items and saddle this and future generations of taxpayers with more debt. 

In Fact I have proposed that in these tough times   Congress cut their pay.

Share the Pain.

First, the $8.0 Billion MUST GO…COMPLETELY.

If you want to see who’s porking and how much, check out

Taxpayers for Common Sense

That leaves $402 Billion. A 10% reduction in that is not asking too much.

It amounts to

• Holding the line at last year’s level
• A MODEST reduction of 2% to recognize today’s situation.

I believe that ANY politician who does not support such modest restraint is totally unworthy of his job and should be impeached for malfeasance of office.

I call on you to reject this bloated bill. Demonstrate to Americans that you can exercise fiscal restraint and live up to the responsibility of your office to use our taxpayer dollars wisely.

Which of you has the integrity and fortitude to introduce these restraints to your colleagues?

Of course, it’s your call. But we ARE watching!