Financial Crisis?

With the economic crisis running deeper than anyone projected, the expectations on President Obama are higher than ever. With over half of the voting American population election him to office, most are expecting to get a small piece of the stimulus package alloted to them. Although I'm a steadfast Republican, my hopes too were very high. We can not afford a failing economy and this is truly the time to be bipartisan. 

I was, however, disturbed when I was reading about the earmarked funds in the lasted round of funds being released. How could our elected officials be this irresponsible?!  Here are some of the highlights of the earmarked projects and funds allocated to them:

$1,427,250 for genetic improvements to switchgrass (what's switchgrass anyway?)

$1,700,000 for pig odor research in Iowa

$2,000,000 for the promotion of Astronomy in Hawaii

$2,100,000 for the Center for Grape Genetics in New York

$200,000 for tattoo removal violence outreach program to help gang members and others shed visible signs of their past

$650,000 for beaver management North Carolina and Mississippi

$819,000 for catfish genetics research in Alabama

Really? This is really where the tax money's going? And they want to raise my taxes!! I'm glad that my hard earned money is going to pay for improving the genetics of switchgrass.

I'm beyond livid. I have never heard of such waste of money!