Ever hear of an earmark? Of course you have...They are the way politicians in Congress stick our money into a bill to get funding for their pet projects, such as the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere" that Sarah Palin evidentially voted for it, before voting against it...Or some such thing...But I digress. So we all know about earmarks.
Ever hear of "Phonemarks?" I hadn't either. And evidentially, we are about two-years behind the politicos in DC. So this is my layman's understanding of how this little trick works. Let's say, hypothetically speaking of course, a Senator from Alaska, let's say Senator Tubes, decides that he wants Congress to fund a transportation project that would link 50 citizens to the mainland instead of using a ferry. Not wanting to "pork-up" the bill, Sen. Tubes decides to promote extra funding (maybe $398 million) to a Federal Agency, say the Department of Transportation. So, now Congress can say the bill is "pork free" and it passes. Now, Sen. Tubes then begins to phone the DOT and recommend it funds a $398 million bridge project in his state. The bridge is built and it appears that the DOT is working on behalf of the betterment of the American people and there is no nasty earmarks with which to deal. Pretty snazzy, huh?
So, just like nature, politicians will find a way.
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