Bill Foster not partial to pork

I listened to the question and answer session with Rep. Foster and State Sen. Hultgren on WTTW Oct. 21. I would like to discuss two pieces of information brought up by Randy Hultgren during that interview. First, he stated he would not have supported the TARP program. Perhaps when this was taped, he was unaware of the 8.2 percent profit the United States' taxpayers received under that program announced Oct. 21 on the national ABC News. I wish my retirement money had done that well. And he would have voted against that?

Randy also cited the group, Citizens Against Government Waste. I decided to investigate their website, where they list $16.5 billion in pork projects in the federal government not a small sum. But Randy didn't state that pork spending in the U.S. Congress exploded since 1994 when the Republicans took control. At the height of pork in 2006, the $29 billion in pork projects, according to CAGW, dwarfed the “mere” $16.5 billion this past year. I will never state that Republicans are the only problem here, however. Democrats were guilty of pork projects, too, but the Republicans seem to be the drivers of pork at least on the federal level.

I checked CAGW's website to see how many of those pork projects were sponsored by Rep. Foster. In 22 single spaced pages, his name does NOT appear.

I worry about returning Republicans to power, Republicans like Randy Hultgren, who seems to use wasteful spending as a yardstick. Perhaps he should look at his own party and not try to wrest the few positive things that Democrats like Bill Foster have squeezed out of the past one and three-quarters' years, and this despite the continued intransigence of federal Republicans for the entirety of President Obama's term. All reasonable taxpayers need to get out and vote for the person who will seek sensible solutions for our district and country. This person is Bill Foster.

Kevin Brewner

St. Charles