Forum: Internet Links
Topic: Congress = For the people
started by: Leisher

Posted by Leisher on Aug. 11 2009,06:17
Remember the big scandal when the CEOs of the auto companies flew in private jets to DC to ask for bailout money?

Those Congressmen and women tore the CEOs a new asshole for doing that.

As it turns out, those same Congresspeople just put $330 million more into the 2010 defense budget to buy 4 new planes for the Air Force's VIP fleet.

Guess who uses those planes?

Posted by TheCatt on Aug. 11 2009,07:47
I thought a) it was $500+ million and b) the $ they put in EXCEEDED what the Air Force had recommended for new planes.

They're buying top of the line planes too.

Posted by Malcolm on Aug. 11 2009,09:39
I think they just took the new purchase off the table.
Posted by GORDON on Aug. 11 2009,10:20
Oh no, .001% of Congress's unofficial bullshit perks just got exposed and canceled.  How will they go on.

It's just really a hell of a thing when the ruling class also controls the wallets of 300 million people, and they also control their own oversight.  In the name of freedom.

Posted by TheCatt on Aug. 11 2009,10:31
I guess newspapers are the closest thing we have to oversight, since the WSJ is the only place I saw this reported.

And they've scaled back to the original request:
QUOTE
House leaders late Monday dropped plans to spend $550 million on Air Force passenger planes for use by senior government officials, a sum that more than doubled the Pentagon's official request and had drawn strong public criticism.

"If the Department of Defense does not want these aircraft, they will be eliminated from the bill," said Rep. John Murtha (D., Pa.), the chairman of the House panel that sought the aircraft order.

The House will seek only $220 million to purchase one Gulfstream plane and three Boeing Co. aircraft, which was the original request by Department of Defense officials.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California supported Mr. Murtha's decision to retreat from the larger order, her spokesman said.

The reversal by House leaders came after several days of mounting opposition from the Pentagon, U.S. senators and other House lawmakers.

Before departing for its August recess, the House approved funds to buy a total of eight planes: three Gulfstream jets and five military versions of a Boeing 737 for a total cost of $550 million. Lawmakers said the additional executive jets were needed to replace an aging fleet of planes that were more expensive to operate and maintain.

The Department of Defense had asked Congress for money to purchase four planes: One Gulfstream V and one new business-class equivalent of a Boeing 737. It also sought the authority to purchase two 737s that were already being leased by government officials.

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