Cato-at-liberty » Give the People What They Want

Author Chris Edwards states, "Part of the trick is that members (Congressional members)always claim that they support budget restraint in general, while arguing at the same time that each particular program, when it is up for a vote, desperately needs to be expanded."

I find that this is true at the state level also, even among my Republican colleagues. Everyone wants to cut programs...with the exception of their own pet project.

To address this problem, Edwards suggests putting a cap on the amount of annual growth of the Federal (or State) budget. I have actually sponsored legislation to address this issue at the state level and it has been met with much resistance from the usual special interest groups. As the old saying goes, "Maybe next year."