Cityscape: Politicians just can't say 'no' to pork

Mr. Marino, my high school civics teacher back in the Middle Ages, told us that local elected officials had two main jobs.

They were supposed to follow the wishes of the people who put them in office, yet at the same time they also needed to represent the overall interests of their cities, counties or states.

That's not happening here in Maryland, or indeed anywhere else in America, because lawmakers have become addicted to pork.

Last year, members of the U.S. House of Representatives attached an astounding 6,371 "earmark" amendments to a single highway bill. Each one used taxpayers' money to fund a pork barrel project...