Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey is apoplectic over the failure of a backroom deal made between he and the House Republicans regarding pork barrel spending:
The House Finance Committee voted to strip $1.5 million in Senate-approved spending amendments from the budget – including $300,000 for Knoxville’s E.M. Jellinek Center – after a two-hour, closed-door GOP conference triggered by House Speaker Emeritus Jimmy Naifeh, D-Covington.
Ramsey canceled plans for Senate floor action on the budget Wednesday night and indicated the Senate may retaliate by cutting projects favored by the House.Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey responded by saying House leaders had broken a deal. In effect, Some House members said the same thing of the senators for their action in adding the questioned spending.“We’re going into the cutting room,” Ramsey said, adding that the House move jeopardizes the goal of ending the 107th General Assembly by Friday and “we’re prepared to come back next week.”
Isn’t that interesting? The Republican budget process is so arbitrary that millions of dollars will be spent or cut solely on the basis of whether or not Ron Ramsey’s feelings are hurt.
Perhaps next time instead of making secret deals in smoke-filled backrooms, they’ll make these decisions in the light of day.
