One thing to admire in Muslims: no pork

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-09-12-earmarks_N.htm

This is the bill that accounts for about 90-95% of pork spending, the transportation bill. There are perhaps many billions more in what is considered discretionary (or even necessary, depending on the POV) spending for social programs or military acquisition programs.

$8B is not chump change. That's ~4% of the national deficit right there, a good start. Reading the actual Inspector Gen report on these effects, some of the pork was simply re-prioritizing funds that were actually needed or useful. Most of it was government waste. I don't see how levying new taxes is necessary without some discourse on how those taxes will be spent and how our current ones are wasted.

In a related story, bacon still tastes good.