SELINSGROVE -- The two Republican candidates for the 10th Congressional District clashed over political earmarks Thursday during a meeting with members of the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Chris Hackett, 45, and Dan Meuser, 44, both Luzerne County businessmen, said they favor smaller government, less taxes and reduced spending, but differ when it comes to politicians securing money for special pork projects.
Hackett denounced earmarks as a corrupt system that "shackles new members of Congress to the leadership."
He said he supports putting an end to earmarks, along with 40 members of the 535 congressional members.
"Pork barrel spending is not a smart use of our dollars," Hackett said.
Unless the earmark system is ended for all, Meuser said he opposes the notion that the 10th District give up its share of earmarks.
"It doesn't resolve anything," he said, indicating that money that might go to a local university or municipality would be diverted to another area.
Meuser said he talked recently with former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum about the issue and his position was "you'd have to be crazy not to accept earmarks."
Earmarks would be a good way to fund infrastructure projects, he said, such as the proposed $364 million Central Susquehanna Valley Thruway.
However, Hackett said that's no way to get the job done.
Referring to incumbent U.S. Rep. Chris Carney's garnering of about $18 million in earmarks since he took office in January 2007, Hackett said it would take 20 years to amass more than $300 million and by then the thruway project would cost even more.
He favors using both public and private funds to pay for new roads, saying such a partnership worked well when the national railroad was built and takes the politics out of the process.
Hackett took a swipe at Meuser's refusal to join the pledge to stop accepting earmarks, calling it "Washington-speak" and describing his opponent as farther left than Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton.
Meuser shrugged off the comment as "political gamesmanship" and said he supports a unilateral reform of the earmark system.
The candidates are vying for the Republican nomination in the April 22 primary and a chance to challenge Carney, D-10 of Dimock, in the November general election.
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