Letters to the editor for Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2015

Pork reform needed at national, state level

Legislators — federal and state — seem unable to act on important legislation. The problem is bills get deadlocked by the many amendments that are allowed to be added that have nothing to do with the original bill. Over 20 years ago, Readers Digest did an expose on this asking for reform, yet it still continues.

Two bills in the news recently: South Carolina approved a bill removing the Confederate flag from its Capitol building. ABC news noted 25 amendments had been added; 25 amendments to a bill requiring only a yea or nay vote? There has been no identification of what these amendments contained.

The U.S. Congress held a special Sunday session to vote on the highway funding bill. Final action was postponed until September. At least they did extend the current funding. A newspaper article stated that one of the amendments tacked on was to repeal Obamacare. Why?

Sadly, if a legislator conscientiously votes against a popular bill due to the added “pork” attached, he is castigated by the press. In a re-election, his opponent will use this no vote against him.

The common sense solution is to not allow any non-pertinent amendment to be added to the original bill. This would prevent unnecessary spending of taxpayer dollars like the infamous “bridge to nowhere.”

If every concerned citizen writes, calls, or emails their congressman to push for this reform, maybe the wheels of government will roll again.

Betty Ann Estes

Carson City