Why a little "pork" can be good for everyone.

While on Twitter this morning (Follow me on Twitter), after tweeting about the hilarious 'homotoned' neocon movement naming trend (asking us to 'tea bag' Obama and NOM's unfortunately named, 2M4M initiative), I made a comment about Elisabeth Hasselbeck and her inability to understand that the tea party movement is not really grassroots, but 'astroturf' or a fake grassroots movement. I was immediately replied to by someone who doesn't normally follow me. Below is an excerpt of the ensuing conversation.

• NAKEDAXIOM: Will somebody PLEASE explain this to Elisabeth #Hasselbeck? The '#teabagging' is not a #grassroots movement! http://bit.ly/1tE9kM
• BANAIAH: @NakedAxiom Using #teabagging is a funny snark but silly. If is not a #grassroots movement then what is? It certainly wasn't #astroturf.
• NAKEDAXIOM: @banaiah when its backed by groups like #Freedomworks, it's certainly not #grassroots; its a coerced movement by lobbyists, or #astroturf.
• BANAIAH: @NakedAxiom #freedomworks as well as #Newt in fact did get involved. But the movement started long before their involvement. (followup tweet) But the to a larger point. Who cares? Are people genuinely upset about taxes? About big Gov't? Hell yes! #tcot #teaparty
• NAKEDAXIOM: @banaiah I care. #Taxes are necessary to pay for our country's #infrastructure. Explain how we do that, without them.
• BANAIAH: @NakedAxiom I reject your premise that I want no taxes. They are not to fund each and every politicians pet project. #tcot #teaparty

Let me ask you something. If you are paying taxes to your government for the upkeep of your country (which most of us are), wouldn't you expect your representatives in that government to have a say in how your tax money was spent? And don't you think that those representatives should then work hard to get some of YOUR tax money back into YOUR community to pay for the upkeep and improvement of YOUR community? I do. That's why I voted for them, and now, that's their job. As a matter of fact, I would be pretty pissed if they just sat back and let all my tax money to go to other states. So I told him that. Here is his response:

• BANAIAH: @NakedAxiom Even if its wasteful nor the role of the federal gov't? Do you believe that to be fair? #tcot

Of coure, I certainly don't want to pay for any bridges to nowhere...who would? But, I do understand the need in the government to include projects like a highspeed rail system between LA and Las Vegas, volcano research in Yellowstone (you know, the supervolcano underneath it...oh, you don't? Here's some info.), and pig odor elimination research in Iowa for the people of those communities, and when it comes to the volcano research - for all of us.

With oversight and good system of checks and balances, a little pork can be good for everyone.