Taxpayer Super Heroes

Yesterday, we examined the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste’s 2010 Congressional Pig Book Summary. The Council also publishes another booklet, The Annual Congressional Ratings.

Since 1989, they’ve examined the roll call votes to identify which members of Congress are protecting our taxpayer dollars and which ones are squandering them. The Council rates members are on a 0 to 100 percentage sliding scale; the more votes a Representative or Senator made in favor of the taxpayers, the higher up the scale they moved:

Hostile: 0 – 19%
Unfriendly: 20 – 39%
Lukewarm: 40 – 59%
Friendly: 60 – 79%
Taxpayer Hero: 80 - 99%
Taxpayer Superhero: 100%

The book gives a breakdown in the beginning, by House and Senate, of who made Taxpayer Superhero status. Good move. Always put your heroes up in front.

House: Reps. Paul Broun (R-Ga.), Jeff Flake (R.-Ariz.), Jeb Hensarling (R.-Tex.), Cynthia Lummis (R.-Wyo.), Mike Pence (R.-Ind.), John Shadegg (R.-Ariz.), and Lynn Westmoreland (R.-Ga.). That’s seven, up from one lone Taxpayer Superhero in 2008, Paul Broun from Georgia. He must felt awfully lonely that year, and CCAGW applauded him for his single-handed courage in defending the taxpayer. Should the Republicans prevail in November, Rep. Broun should be the first choice for Speaker of the House.

You’ll notice all those R’s. The Democrats didn’t fare quite so well in the rankings. According to the CCAGW, 9 members had a zero rating in 2006. In 2007, feeling proud of themselves, only 2 had a zero rating. But then the numbers starting climbing. The number grew to a modest 34 in 2008. But in 2009, an unbelievable 105 members, or 41 percent of the 256 House Democrats scored big fat zeroes.

One House Democrat made it to Taxpayer Hero – Walt Minnick (D-Id). Among the House Hostiles are some familiar names: Rush Holt (D.-N.J.), Patrick Kennedy (D.- R.I.), Carolyn Maloney (D.-N.Y), John Murtha (D.-Pa.), Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.), Joe Sestak (D.-Pa.), Maxine Waters (D.-Calif.), Henry Waxman (D.-Calif.).

One Republican was listed as Hostile – John McHugh (R.-N.Y.). He was the guy from New York’s 23rd District. Obama made him an offer he couldn’t refuse – Secretary of the Army. The highest scorer in California was Rep. Tom McClintock (R-4th District), representing the northeastern-most corner of California.

In the Senate Chamber, a couple of Wyoming cowboys beat out Sen. John McCain for most tax-payer conscious. With 100 percent, they’re Wyoming’s Senatorial Taxpayer Superheroes.

Tying for Hostile Senator status were Sen. Inouye of Hawaii and Sen. Boxer of California with one down vote for cutting taxes apiece. New Jersey’s Senators both fell in the Hostile category as well. But in the House, we do have a Taxpayer Hero in Rep. Scott Garrett (R – 5th Distr.), with a score of 99 percent.

Farther down, Rep. Lance (R. 7th Dist.) managed to make it into the Friendly category. Reps. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R. – 11th Distr.) – 30 percent, Lobiondo (R.-2nd Distr.) – 21 percent, and Smith (R. – 4th Dist.) fell into the Unfriendly category. Everyone below that – eight Congressmen – were big zeroes in the Hostile category. Eight of thirteen. I hope N.J.’s 8th District candidate Roland Straten keeps that in mind when he goes head-to-head with Bill Pascrell who scored a zero for 2009, and a 9 percent for his career.

If New Jersey doesn’t start shaping up, I’m moving to Wyoming!