This was supposed to be an update to my Sunday column, Pelosi’s party plane, about how Judicial Watch uncovered more than $100 thousand of taxpayer funds spent for in-flight service including an impressive bar bill, all on board Air Force jets in the service of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The only problem is that I can’t find anything to update you on. Our fine members of Congress aren’t calling for an investigation; neither Democrats nor Republicans. President Obama has not ordered the Air Force to stop acting as Pelosi’s personal air service, and those fine California voters that put her in office and keep her there (those same voters that have helped California become a financial catastrophe) aren’t upset.
Folks, this is turning into one of those rare times when I just don’t care about the quality of my writing.
The only information out there is that a) this was already investigated a couple of years ago and it is perfectly legal, and b) the excuse from more than 2 years ago that the other guys did it too, and finally b) the bloggers like me that are complaining are just a bunch of backward hate filled people gumming up the works.
By the way, yes, it really is perfectly legal for the Speaker of the House of Representatives to use an Air Force jet and charge up hefty bar bills to taxpayers.
No SH!#T!!! Of course it was perfectly legal! Pelosi is the Speaker of the House; by “the House” I mean the United States House of Representatives. The woman has an army of lawyers to make sure she stays legal and the power to change law so that what she wants to do can become legal. Of course buying drinks on the taxpayer tab was legal! And, yes, I know that the other guys did it too and they probably did some things that are far worse.
That’s my point! That is the point of this entire blog and everything that I have written here over the past year. We are being taken advantage of by a political class that has built itself a secure power structure that they can keep in place by using our money that we earn through our hard work to buy votes and give out favors that lead to campaign contributions. Of course it was perfectly legal for the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives to use military aircraft and personnel along with taxpayer dollars for luxury travel for herself and a long list of benefactors all while our troops are short changed, our infrastructure is crumbling, and our businesses are burdened with ever more taxes. It was perfectly legal because most Americans aren’t paying attention and the few that are paying attention are so invested in their political party that their party can do no wrong and the other party can’t do anything right.
Just because it is ‘legal’ and the other guys did it does not make it right. No matter which political party or politician did it. It is not only wrong to shaft the taxpayers with the politician’s bar bills, but this whole thing points to the sickness that has taken over our government and the way We the People look at our government.
Did you know that Marie Antoinette actually said was, “Let them eat cake and drink Courvoisier cognac.” Really. It’s true.
Yes, I know some people out there will whine that Pelosi does such wonderful things for her constituents. She brings the money back to her district. Well I have news for those people that say that about Pelosi or any other member of Congress, Democrat or Republican: The United States Congress is not supposed to be a giant feeding trough where our elected officials go to fill up on perks to buy votes with back at home. But that is probably the most accurate description of Congress you can find. And that description applies to an awful lot of state and local governments as well.
We should be voting these people out of office.
New rule for this blog; if you want to comment or send me an email telling me that it is okay for Pelosi to indulge her royal fantasies because George W. Bush did it too, or because it is perfectly legal, than you have to make that statement from a place that could have used that wasted money for something good. Try writing from inside a run down urban or rural school (you should have no trouble finding one – they’re all over the place), or from the home of a soldier who is not getting the care he or she needs or whose family is suffering, or write from underneath a crumbling bridge (they’re also easy to find; just look near the rundown school), or maybe before you can approve of the Speaker’s behavior you have to be out of work in part because of a badly planned so-called ‘Stimulus’ package or the economic instability caused by that package plus health care plus cap & trade (Oh! Wait! That describes me. Never mind. I have that one covered).
How about telling me Pelosi was perfectly legal while sitting next to a sinkhole created by an old water main, or from a tent city in Haiti, or while you’re with somebody that could have had some renovations done on their home if they weren’t paying so much in taxes, or from on top of one the levies surrounding New Orleans, or maybe you should have to be at…..
Johnny Walker Red scotch, Grey Goose vodka, E&J brandy, Bailey’s Irish Crème, Maker’s Mark whiskey, Courvoisier cognac, Bacardi Light rum, Jim Beam whiskey, Beefeater gin, Dewars scotch, Bombay Sapphire gin, Jack Daniels whiskey, Corona beer and several bottles of wine.
{ 14 comments }
Queen Nancy is a wealthy woman and could easily afford to pay for all non-gov’ment related travel herself . Instead, she has chosen to be a disgusting pig at the taxpayer trough, engaging in behavior so egregious that even her drone- like constituents in SF are sure to find outrageous. Her actions are worse then any welfare or Medicare cheat…
Commandeering military planes for her adult children, grand children and friends, loading up on expensive booze, should be so beyond the pale and galling to anyone with firing synapses that to vote for her ever again is a vote for corruption….
Between Queen Nancy and BBObama there should be NO democrats left in Congress after Nov….
Aren’t people supposed to be entitled to what the market will bear?A corporate VP probably gets better perks, and can now spend company money to get the laws he or she wants enacted. So Nancy Pelosi should not be able to claim as compensation one of the perks of her office, despite the fact that there’s a long precedent for it. Why no outrage for the people who took a Trillion taxpayer dollars and are even now trying to make sure that there are no meaningful regulations put in place to keep them from being “too big to fail?” Nancy Pelosi can’t ride in a privat (OK, Air Force) jet, but they can? And they’re working hard to make sure they can keep misinforming the public, taking risks with our money, and racking up bonuses that could let them buy and sell airforce jets. I don’t disagree with you outrage, but why do the financial oligarchs get a free ride?
@Warren: Of course we know Republicans are greedy, so there would be no need for outrage when they’re in power. I wouldn’t take bets on which party started this boondoggle. And since Obama is in for 4 years you are way out of line for your comment of his not being around in November. The office of the President deserves respect!
Lynn
I voted for Obama and consider myself a very progressive young woman, but I too think it is at least poor judgement and politically foolish to engage in such visible and wanton abuse of her position, even if it’s not illegal.
Especially at at time when we, as a country are pretty much broke. It just looks bad on her part to fly around her grand-children and friends who have nothing to do with government business.
It gives her opponents something to scream about and MAY turn enough independents and moderates against her. We could lose of another seat.
That would would be a shame..
Someone here commenting, is confused between the concept of Private vs Public.
A Private Sector VP flying on a corp jet is none of our business because a private entity is footing the bill. Not the taxpayers.
When Nancy Pelosi flies her friends and family all over on government jets, drinking premium adult beverages, on non -governmental occasions, you and me are paying. That’s abuse. Pure and simple. Plus she and her husband are wealthy, and could easily afford to charter a plane for their friends.
This kind of thing may fly with her sycophantic lawyers, but the voters will think differently come Nov ’10
I’m not happy with the Airforce party jet. But while 2 blogs have now been devoted to it (Oh my gosh, politicians live large on the public payroll, who knew?), the administration is fighting to try to put regulations in place to prevent the next financial crisis, so we don’t have the boom and bust every 5-7 years, along with bailouts for too-big-to-fail institutions. How much money does that waste? I don’t know where this story came from, but it sure does make a nice distraction from what’s happening legislatively.
Lynn
I don’t think, we as taxpayers should have to put up with corruption on any level, by people we elect to oversee the public trust, be they D or R. Integrity and competency should be demanded.
But when the small items, such as the controversy involving Mrs Pelosi, are condoned of ignored, they (the Pols) go to the next level and the next…Pretty soon Fannie and Freddie are corrupted.
@Juno: Please connect the dots between the Airforce plane and Fannie and Freddie. Again, I don’t love it, but it’s probably a reaction to outrage over legislators riding around in corporate jets being influenced by corporate lobbyists. It’s legal, doesn’t violate any rules, and from what I can tell, she didn’t try to conceal it. I’d love to see the money spent better (and I’m writing this from a nonprofit educational institution that could definitely put the money to better use), but Fannie and Freddie Mac don’t get fixed by having us tisk tisk about this issue. Bring it up during the election as a character issue, of course, but let’s tackle more substantive issues now.
@Marty: I know the theoretical difference between private and public, but with TARP as a great example, perhaps you’d like to explain the practical difference. We get so angry about Peolosi’s (the taxpayer’s) plane, but big businesses have their hand out to our government constantly. We can’t regulate financial institutions, oh no, because that’s none of our business! They don’t seem too private to me when they get free money from the treasury (that’s beyond TARP) and all we can do is just wait 5-7 years to bail them out again. Sheesh!
& Lynn
If you really understood it, you would not say the things you said.
I think to point was the corruption begins with small items and a sense of entitlement…Ending with using Fannie and Freddie as governmental piggybank, doling out cash to suporters in the search of votes
No matter who you vote for, I’m sure you would want them to be honest when dealing with the public trust…
I’m not disagreeing with that, but it’s also a political tactic to attack people on these issues to make it harder for them to govern rather than meeting them head-on on the legislative agenda. I don’t have sympathy for Pelosi–she left herself open for it, but I don’t live in her district and I’d much rather take her to task on substantive legislative failures. (Right-wing playbook #423: Let’s try to neutralize her in case she tries to become conciliatory and actually govern…”)But this is more fun, until we find another Tiger Woods mistress or something.
Lynn
You one of the most ignorant know nothing white girls ever to post a thought on the blogs
Thoughtful peoples here trying to smack some sense into you in a nice way and you completely missin’ the points they makin…
You need to listen more and write a whole lot less of the stupid crap you believe is goin’ on…
Corruption is cancer
You want to see corruption? You come here to Detroit and check it out. Democrat politicians one and all ruined this place in 50 odd years. Begun with small stuff and got bigger and bigger. There be no hope…But we Negro’s keep votin’ them in ’cause they say they gonna help us..?? Just bulldozer the whole mess and start over.
Others here be nice and polite to you, but I don’t pull no punches wit nobody who show no common sense.. you don’t got a f**kin’ clue, girl…
Open Question: What if Pelosi did all this luxury travel but some corporation(s) footed the bill instead of We The People?
Do you mean, if she allowed herself to be taken on this trip by a corporation? That is selling influence.