Perspective is incredibly self-centered. How each of us views something is entirely based on the question, "how will it affect me?" Perspective is precisely what makes pork either "the other white meat" or a four-letter word.
So, let's consider pork. John McCain proudly proclaims that he has never, ever voted for any bill in Congress that contained pork -- money for local projects that don't necessarily affect the health and welfare of the entire nation. To McCain, "pork" is a four-letter word.
Virtually every other member of Congress, at some time, has voted for legislation containing at least one pork-barrel project -- probably to the benefit of his or her home state or congressional district. To them, "pork" is simply bringing home the bacon.
If your elected officials bring federal funds, generated in part by the taxes you pay, back to your community, isn't that a good thing? If your town sits on a two-lane highway that generates nothing but safety issues and economic woes and your members of Congress have a chance to garner federal money that will bring construction of a four-lane highway to your community, would you really turn it down because some call it "pork?"
Frankly, I can't believe that the citizens of Arizona have repeatedly sent John McCain back to Washington, election cycle after election cycle, when he has never brought home the bacon -- and he's proud of it. So you sit on your Arizona righteousness and watch California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico rake in the pork. You don't get mad? You don't want your share?
Pork is like campaign reform. Until the rules are changed for everyone, it probably behooves you to play under the existing rules. It's great to stand on your principles, but when you're essentially hurting the people you represent to do so, is it in their best interest?
Now, I also don't believe that you should do something just because everyone else is doing it. You remember your mom asking you that infamous question, "...and if your friends jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge would you do that too?" It's a Catch 22. You can admire McCain for his personal pork principle, but you have to get a little mad. He's been in Washington for a very long time. He's been in a position of leadership and power for a long time. Oh, the slabs of bacon he could have brought home to Arizona....
Let's face it. There are a lot of projects in this country, funded by the federal pig, that are worthy ones that, in some vague and distant way, might positively affect all of us. It makes sense that the more solid, strong, vibrant communities we have in this country, the better our country overall. That said, building an enormously expensive bridge to the benefit of a dozen citizens exemplifies the negative extreme.
Perhaps the answer is establishing rigid rules about pork and living by them. But until there are rules, I guess elected officials will continue making them up as they play. And while that's not really fair for everyone, it's the reality of our system at this point in history.
(Selfish footnote for my elected members of Congress: Keep bringing home the bacon while you can.)
