It's 10pm, do you know where your taxes are?

**Retz** · July 22nd, 2013 10:16 AM

Do you think it is now the right time to finally abolish the pork barrel?

**niky** · July 23rd, 2013 12:06 PM

Originally Posted by Retz

Do you think it is now the right time to finally abolish the pork barrel?

It will take a lot of political will.

The problem, as I see it... is the extreme sluggishness of government appropriations. The "pork barrel" should help speed up projects, but what has always been lacking are the checks and balances required to make it work properly.

I think strengthened COA auditing and punishment for mis-appropriations would help fix the issue. Ideally. But then, when has anything in government worked ideally?

**CVT** · July 23rd, 2013 02:50 PM

From wikipedia:

The Oxford English Dictionary dates the modern sense of the term from 1873.[4] By the 1870s, references to "pork" were common in Congress, and the term was further popularized by a 1919 article by Chester Collins Maxey in the National Municipal Review, which reported on certain legislative acts known to members of Congress as "pork barrel bills". He claimed that the phrase originated in a pre-Civil War practice of giving slaves a barrel of salt pork as a reward and requiring them to compete among themselves to get their share of the handout.

Appropriate as they are not accountable for their share.....

20.2K:flush:

**Retz** · July 24th, 2013 09:26 AM

Originally Posted by niky

It will take a lot of political will.

The problem, as I see it... is the extreme sluggishness of government appropriations. The "pork barrel" should help speed up projects, but what has always been lacking are the checks and balances required to make it work properly.

I think strengthened COA auditing and punishment for mis-appropriations would help fix the issue. Ideally. But then, when has anything in government worked ideally?

Correct sir niky. It will take a lot of toll to abolish the pork barrel. The president could not do it alone. It will pass through the congress which I highly doubt lawmakers would oblige.

**kinyo** · July 24th, 2013 11:55 AM

maybe ... stopping pork barrel needs a civil war?

just like the slaves ... those lawmakers will fight to death to defend their pork?

**Retz** · July 25th, 2013 10:04 PM

I think there's a pending FOI Bill that is intended for a better transparency with regards to government funds being allocated for projects.

**vinj** · July 26th, 2013 09:08 AM

Meanwhile:

**kinyo** · July 26th, 2013 09:40 AM

ay ... buking?

**Stoner** · July 26th, 2013 12:09 PM

Bong is still doing the a-typical response of a man caught in bed with another woman.

President material for 2016? Pretty jackass confident for a party-mate of GMA.