Earmarks

It is a practice of congressmen to carve out special projects for their districts called earmarks. It may be the building of a new military base or a new VA hospital. In any case, the congressmen will normally make this public in order to garner future votes. Recent revelations have highlighted some expenditures that have been kept secret. Take the example of “forty-two million for social and behavior change in Uganda”. This money was set aside at the behest of someone in congress. Because it was kept out of the public eye and because it seems to have no direct benefit to any congressional district, it looks suspicious. It opens the door to various conspiracy theories. Will any of this money end up in the pockets of a congressman or any of his associates. This is only one of many such unusual “earmarks”. Is it a common practice in congress? Does this help to answer the question, as to how so many in government end up with large estates. Government employees are supposed to appear above reproach but this puts them in a bad light. Will all congressmen now be tainted because of the acts of a few or this something that many, even most, participate in. In any event the optics are bad.