Eliminate earmarks in congressional bills

We need to eliminate congressional earmarks that are costing the taxpayers billions of dollars that we just don't have. We also need to limit members of Congress to two terms. This may be the wake-up call that Congress members need to get them to listen to their constituents.

With unemployment at 10 percent, we should be looking at helping businesses get back on their feet so that they can hire again. Instead, we spent more than $19 billion in more than 10,000 pork projects just in the last year. Here in Iowa we received $1.7 million to research pig odor. Another pork project was for tattoo removal. I am sure every American can benefit from these earmarks, just to name a couple that were in the stimulus bill that was signed last year.

Keith Purk

Luzerne