Cost-Cutters, Except When the Spending Is Back Home

An examination of spending bills, news releases and communications with federal agencies obtained under the Freedom of Information Act shows that nearly two dozen freshmen have sought money for projects that could ultimately cost billions of dollars, while calling for less spending and banning pork projects.

Politicians have long advocated for projects on behalf of individuals and businesses back home, even without earmarks. Several lawmakers said they were merely providing a constituent service. But since many of the freshman Republicans campaigned on a pledge to cut spending and to change Washington’s time-honored ways, their support of spending projects suggests that in many cases ideology can go only so far in serving the needs of people back home.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/20/us/politics/20freshmen.html?hp

The word is that he intends to vote against raising the debt ceiling. Both my Senators are Republicans too, yet MS is constantly getting more federal dollars. In fact, MS receives about 2 dollars for every dollar sent to Washington. This has been going on for as long as I remember. MS receives all that money, but its schools continue to be among the worst in the nation, the teen pregnancy and illiteracy rates are always among the highest, and quality of life also hovers near the bottom. No one ever asks where all that spending goes, year after year. I'd say that MS is probably the nation's biggest money pit.