US Curbing Public Funds to End Mouth-Based Corruption
Published in Nanfang Daily
(China) on 1 February 2012
by Liu Ying Tuan (link to original)
(China) on 1 February 2012
by Liu Ying Tuan (link to original)
Translated from
by Yu Huifang.
Edited by Louis Standish.
For many years, there has neither been accurate statistics on eating, nor has there been any official release. Yet the cost of tremendous waste is well known. (from the January 31 issue of Ren Ming Ri Bao)
In order to prevent corruption through the mouth, the U.S. has created many rules related to gifts, like most famous "toothpick rule." According to this rule, businesses and industry lobbyists are not allowed to pay for lawmakers’ meals. They can only invite them for cocktail parties where the only food consumed is that on toothpicks. There should no formal meals. In fact, the simple reason for this is to ensure a balance of power.
On top of that, there is a non-profit organization call "Citizens Against Government Waste." From some of the organization's reports, one can know that it scrutinizes how the government spends federal funds; for example, government-funded junk science, the YMCA, AIDS projects where a large amount of funds are wasted... The organization’s various opinions may or may not be true. Still, it is not a bad thing to have the government exert more cautious when using federal funds.
Dealing with corruption through the mouth is like having a growing malignant tumor on a body, but the public's cry against the splurged crime is growing stronger. The government is disrespectful toward the masses; the spectrum of wasted federal funds is too great. Therefore, it is necessary to specify the sources of the public budget, be on the lookout against “mouth corruption” and create powerful and immediate punishments for anyone committing such crimes.
In order to prevent corruption through the mouth, the U.S. has created many rules related to gifts, like most famous "toothpick rule." According to this rule, businesses and industry lobbyists are not allowed to pay for lawmakers’ meals. They can only invite them for cocktail parties where the only food consumed is that on toothpicks. There should no formal meals. In fact, the simple reason for this is to ensure a balance of power.
On top of that, there is a non-profit organization call "Citizens Against Government Waste." From some of the organization's reports, one can know that it scrutinizes how the government spends federal funds; for example, government-funded junk science, the YMCA, AIDS projects where a large amount of funds are wasted... The organization’s various opinions may or may not be true. Still, it is not a bad thing to have the government exert more cautious when using federal funds.
Dealing with corruption through the mouth is like having a growing malignant tumor on a body, but the public's cry against the splurged crime is growing stronger. The government is disrespectful toward the masses; the spectrum of wasted federal funds is too great. Therefore, it is necessary to specify the sources of the public budget, be on the lookout against “mouth corruption” and create powerful and immediate punishments for anyone committing such crimes.
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