Congress Has A Lot Of Nerve
Aug 6, 2009 Political
In November of last year the executives of the Big Three American auto companies flew to DC in private corporate jets with their hats in their hands asking for tax dollars to bail them out. Members of Congress used this example of extravagance to publicly chastise the CEOs. They were called arrogant and one Congressman said this:
“It’s almost like seeing a guy show up at the soup kitchen in a high hat and tuxedo,” Rep. Gary Ackerman (D., N.Y.) told the gathered executives. “Couldn’t you have downgraded to first class or something, or jet-pooled or something to get here?” WSJ
Yes, members of Congress took pot shots at these guys for running their companies so poorly that they were nearly out of money and so desperate that they needed to beg for taxpayer money. Imagine if the “frugal” members of Congress had done something like this. Oh wait…
Congress added two luxury Gulf Stream Jets to a bill that already included one the Air Force needed to replace an aging aircraft. The Congress says it is not an earmark, they just increased the total of what was originally requested. The planes will be required to be based near DC so that they can fly members of Congress all over the place.
Here we have Congress spending money that we do not have and they are purchasing luxury jets so they can fly in a manner they criticized auto CEOs for. Now Congress does not have its hat in hand because, unlike the auto company executives, Congress can just pass laws that take more of our money. Even though they can extort money from us they are no different than the CEOs who run their companies so poorly that they have no money. Congress has spent us into bankruptcy and they will just raise our taxes to pay for their luxury jets.
They will try to tell us this is for the Air Force but this is solely for the comfort of members of Congress. The Air Force only requested one plane. Congress added the other two and required them to be based near DC. Keep this in mind when you read statements like this:
John Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org, a defense information Web site, said military officials “need a long-range airplane — and [it’s] better to fly them on a small one than a big one.”
Pike said it is unreasonable to expect a three-star general and a staff of five people to attend meetings around the world with several stops in far-flung locales while traveling on commercial airlines. Roll Call
The General could fly in the plane the Air Force ordered. I do not think there are that many Generals flying to justify two more planes. These planes were purchased solely for the convenience of the members of Congress. It is a luxury perk that they are paying for with your tax dollars.
They are too important to fly commercial and given the atmosphere in the country perhaps it would be a bit dangerous for them. However, that does not mean they should spend 200 million dollars for three planes, two of which are not needed.
The planes were slipped into a bill and called something other than an earmark in order to avoid public scrutiny.
This is the so called most ethical Congress and most transparent government that we have ever known.
I guess if they keep saying that a few people might believe it.
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Tags: auto executives, Congress, crime, guld stream jets, hypocrisy, luxury perks