Pork barrel” politics, patronage, political favoritism, earmarks — whatever you choose to call these line-item funding projects, they are as much an American tradition as our democratic electoral process.
Congressional politicians add on billions of dollars in special interest projects every year without a hearing, without legislative authorization and without ever being in the federal budget. The projects almost always benefit local constituent groups or special interests.
As Samson Wong reports in his Potstickers column this issue, Asian American legislators are getting in on the pork fest. Hawai‘i Sen. Daniel Inouye, with 131 projects totaling $385.5 million, was ranked sixth among 100 senators for the 2008 fiscal year. Hawai‘i — 70 percent Asian Pacific American and both senators APAs — ranked second among all states in pork per capita: $220.63 per person, compared to $33.77 for the national average.
If anyone had doubts that Asian Americans could master the down and dirty ways of American politics and backroom deals, these demonstrations of Asian American clout should end those misconceptions. We know how politics work, and we know how to pull the levers of power.
But leading the way in adding extra expenses is not necessarily a source of community pride. Certainly, we would hope that Asian American legislators are more responsible with their earmarks. And in fact, they have brought necessary funding to important community groups, including the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation, Asian American Recovery Services and Asian Americans for Community Involvement.
But, overall, we need to look at the situation holistically. Regardless of ability to play the American political pork-barrel game, the practice arguably runs counter to our community’s natural tendency toward fiscal stability. We would rather eat pork than waste tax dollars on pork barrel.
Pork barrel politics explains some of the political apathy among Asian Pacific Americans. The hypocrisy turns us off. We don’t want to be a part of it.
And what kind of change are Asian American politicians making to this inefficient political system? That remains to be seen.
But with new generations of APAs getting involved in the process, if not yet running for office, it indicates that we are not just idly sitting by. We will be part of the catalyst to throw out old-style politics in order to bring about change for America in the 21st century.