Vermont Should Lead and Give Pork to Katrina Relief

An open letter to Congressman Bernie Sanders, Senator Jim Jeffords, and Senator Patrick Leahy,

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and then Rita, Vermont citizens led the way. Vermonters were among the first, if not the first, to deliver truckloads of supplies to the victims of the disaster. Bottled water, diapers, shampoo, food… individuals purchased provisions little by little, but our combined efforts resulted in a vast supply. Vermonters opened their hearts and their wallets to help those truly in need.

Now you, as elected representatives of Vermont, have an opportunity to follow the in the selfless and charitable spirit of your constituents – by giving up the “pork” spending projects in the latest Highway Bill to help pay for the costs of hurricane relief.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-California, has set a commendable example by eliminating $70 million of the $129 million that was allocated to her district and, instead, dedicating the money to fund hurricane relief.

More than $200 million in the Highway Bill is earmarked for special “pork” projects in Vermont. It is to your credit as politicians that you got this money for Vermont. It will be to your greater credit as human beings to give it back.

The alternatives are more deficit spending to pay for relief, or increased taxes on many who have already given what they can afford of their own free will to this good cause.

To argue that several million dollars is a sum too little to be worth giving is an insult to every Vermonter who waited hours in line to put a case of water and a box of diapers in the back of a truck. Vermonters found it in there hearts to give what they could. You, Bernie Sanders, Jim Jeffords and Pat Leahy, can give this. We hope you do.

Respectfully,
Rob Roper
State Director
FreedomWorks-Vermont
www.freedomworks.org