OpenGov - Open Government Brainstorm

I don't want a single person to determine which earmarks are valid. At least, bad as it is now, the current system ensures that two branches of government wiht multiple geographies approve.

My personal prefrance is to have any Geographic spending by the government lead to an automatic increase in that states income tax. That way there would be less reason to sponsor an earmark since the money would be paid for by the state that was benefited by it.

you are so wrong!If you cut the waste for these special interest projects that just throughs money away you don't have to raise taxes.Let the states apply for help they need don't pay someone else to do it for them. The rich use their power to line their own pockets.Thats the waste under the table deals between the elected officials and the lobbyists and the people paying the lobbyists to buy off everyone.Use the money saved for education,health care for everyone and social security, just to mention a few.Nixon sold out the americian people on health care.Take a look at his tapes.He is the one that signed the bill to make health care for profit for special interest to line their pockets and hurt the americian people.Bush did almost the same thing giving the drug companys a sweet deal,almost a blank check to charge the poor,middle class and seniors what ever the want.

I would have to agree with Mike here.

Consider this... A different president is in power. Perhaps a present from the past...

A bill is voted in by congress that does something great, and adds 5 special projects. The president isn't the good guy here though so he veto's the something great that the bill got passed for and passes the 5 special projects that his budies wanted. You need the separation of power here.

Sending taxes home with the candidates project may be affective though... after all this would directly affect their vote turnout.

This Idea was just misstated. “Demand the congress deal with line item bills”. How would that happen?

The logistic with the greatest chance of success is to give the president line item veto. If the congress wants to override the president on one or more line items, then they can, just as they can now. This does not change the balance of power. The president still sets the bar for how much consensus is required. Furthermore if people share the same agenda consensus will be more clear in the first place. Furthermore what we’ve got going now for a processes doesn’t work. If we just keep doing it still won’t work. This does not have to be forever, if the idea doesn’t work in a couple of terms then lets move on.