Clip Their Wings

" She's fare well several lawmakers trying to clip the wings on first class flying the house wants more than 500 million dollars for luxury jets. The resistance coming during the busiest month of the year through official overseas travel since 1995 check this -- house lawmakers. Had disclosed the total of six point two million dollars in travel expenses for the all the months of August. Since that year. And it's all on your -- Senator Claire McCaskill says congress is sending the wrong message you'd think by using cash like monopoly money. And then get this South Carolina governor Mark Sanford. Used state aircraft for political and personal use some of his troops. -- novels 6000 dollars Tom Schatz is president of Citizens Against Government Waste and -- the the legitimate. Concern -- guess the reason that congress is giving is because -- this conflict weasel planes that too expensive to maintain and to keep operating. And really what they're gonna do about buying 500 plus million dollars in new jets and save us all money."

" There's 24 jets already. The Pentagon asked for a few of them but not all of them two of them have been earmarked by somebody in congress who won't own up to earmark -- we can understand why given the town hall outrage around the country that should be added to the list by the way of protests by people respectfully. Get rid of the jets as they have told the private sector this is a terrible example to be set at a time where people -- out of work. And their controlling the executive compensation house just passed the bill saying. We're gonna decide what people should be paid -- it will take our own jet."

" Yeah that's the whole thing is you talk about you know people the emails we get they just have trouble believing congress about all this health care stuff. And though they have congress cannot say look we're gonna spend 550 million dollars on new jets because we're gonna save you money. And they think is that any different -- saying this health care plan is going to save us money in the bottom line here is people just have a hard time. But leaving their congressional members."

" Well certainly we don't need twelve congressional delegations going to Germany this month I think we know what our relations are like with that country we don't need to go over. And observed personally as members of congress. By the way there's very easy way to save money on congressional travel don't go as much. Or consolidate the trips to. Show us what you're doing show the results get that under control everybody else is cutting back it seems except members of congress and that of course adds to the skepticism. Between health care and TARP and stimulus and habitats. And we did that we did that at least a number of organizations and done the math on this and it would take years and it would take years of flying these jets almost -- nonstop basis to make up for. The -- that you already have in the stable. Of course so they can use what they -- nobody said there are totally obsolete there'll still working apparently. Look they've got trouble getting the new helicopter for the president to new tankers for the air force anytime it seems somebody else wants the playing. Congress can't figure out what to do but when it comes to themselves they take pretty good care of themselves I know we're talking about a lot smaller dollar amount we talk about South Carolina governor Mark Sanford in him using the plane for personal purposes but it's still -- this is a guy who fought against the stimulus money coming in. And it just goes to the very core of what Americans are so irate about which is the hypocrisy of at all. Absolutely and governor Sanford case we don't know all the details with some of the troops could have been. Connected to his. Official business but you don't wanna take any chances the unemployment rate in south Carolina's twelve point 3% one of the highest in the country. He has stood for. Being he's stood against wasteful spending for a long time and he should've aired on the side of caution if it. Any question whatever would have been -- should've paid for himself or simply not use the jets and again it goes down to. How legislators and governors really are dealing with. The taxpayers' money they have to be a lot more careful especially now that and how it plays in Iowa and how plays across the country and ingesting a look that there may be sent absolutely legitimate reasons is just like the CEOs and they flew and it just looks bad. -- Tom -- thank you sir."