7. It breeds corruption.
There is one simple way to continue to get re-elected in the House or Senate: by bringing home the bacon. Earmarks have become the norm in Washington, as politicians are willing to make concessions in order to maintain popular projects in their states. One of the most infamous examples is an airport in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, built with funds appropriated by former Congressman John Murtha. The airport received more than $150 million in federal funding, despite serving less than 30 people a day. The result? Murtha, who assumed his Congressional seat in 1974, was re-elected over and over again to the House until his death in 2010.
