Wreckovery.gov Watch: More airport waste
David Hogberg at IBD is doing the job the government can’t/won’t do: Tracking porkulus waste. His analysis found that “$154 million in stimulus funds is going to low-traffic rural airports that already get subsidies and tax breaks — and whose net economic benefit is a matter of considerable debate.” It’s not just Jack Murtha’s airport/radar to nowhere.
All the details here.
Hey, don’t worry. Sheriff Joe Biden’s lookin’ out for ya!
***
Related: Only you can look out for you…
So just who’s tracking that $787 billion in taxpayer money that President Obama and the Democrat-led Congress are doling out? You are. Or you’re supposed to be, anyway.
“We are, in essence, deputizing the entire American citizenry to help with the oversight of this program,” said Rep. Brad Miller, chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology’s subcommittee on investigations and oversight.
So, too, said Earl Devaney, the ex-cop who’s now chairman of the Recovery Act Accountability and Transparency Board, charged with tracking the torrent of cash now pouring out of federal coffers.
“I’m going to have millions of citizens to help me,” he said, comparing run-of-the-mill Americans to inspectors general, the high-ranking officials charged with ferreting out waste and abuse in federal agencies.
“I’m going to have a million little IGs running around,” the chairman said Tuesday after his testimony before the subcommittee.
And perhaps that’s just as well, given the turnout of the panel tasked with keeping track of thousands of millions of dollars. Just three of the 10 members bothered to show up for the subcommittee’s second meeting, dramatically titled “Follow the Money Part II.”
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Trackbacks
- Trackin the porkulus waste - Joe Biden isn’t looking out for you so much it seems! | Fire Andrea Mitchell!
- Give Me My Share Of the Stimulus « Vets On The Watch
- Porkulus air waste plus our parody website - The Underground Conservative
- Porkulus air waste plus our parody website - The Underground Conservative
- Most Liberal States Are Least Free Says Study « Goodtimepolitics
- Obama’s Promised Budget Scrub Yields .5% in Cuts | The Great Illuminator
- Stimulus Money Mistakes from Government AGAIN? Clown College Recruits May Be Wiser Choice to Be Trusted with Taxpayers’ Money « Frugal Café Blog Zone
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You know the incompetent, feckless, cowardly sherrif in some western’s that needed to be ousted by the hero cowboy? That’s sherrif Joe.
If we are going to be IG’s, can we file suit against the dc bunch when we find mis-use of our money? I know the answer, just thought I would ask.
L
State sovereignty declarations are growing. We need to combine these sentiments with direct collaboration between the “various states” to put a constitutional hammer lock on the federal government. This is the only way to curb the growing corruption and tyranny emanating from Washington. Clearly there are no viable checks and balances to restrain the criminal political acts of this Congress and Administration.
That’s only a rounding error in the stimulus package. OTOH, I sure am glad we have subpoena powers as ‘ little IG’s’
sarc
Here in Brunswick, on the southern coast of Georgia, the county got a large “stimulus” pile of cash in this travesty of finance to upgrade the local St. Simons Island airport, an airport only used by rich people with private planes. The PUBLIC airport, to my knowledge, got nothing, and that’s the airport that carries commercial passengers via Delta.
I don’t know about everyone else but suddenly, my confidence in government zoomed.
Apparently, the news is SO GOOD on the bank capital situation, that too is not going to be revealed to us for fear of panicking investors. The news is just too good. Now my confidence in the capital markets is off the charts too!
The less they tell me, the more confident I get!
Watching local and state officials waste this money is really depressing. It’s just like pigs at a trough. Calling it pork is appropriate.
adn.com reports stimulus money is going for building cabins along the Iditarod trail.
OK. There’s a new sheriff in town, and his name is J S Ragman. The first people on my “fecal roster” are the seven committee members who didn’t show up for the meeting.
We need Will Kane, and we get Johnny Behan. Or Barney Fife.
As a deputy, can I make arrests? What am I supposed to do exactly?
And now we find out those AIG bonuses were four times larger than originally disclosed, and they were doled out prior to the TARP vote. It begs the question;
If they’re disclosing X amount in spending stimulus, and we know they can’t account for some of the missing funds, just how much spending (and for who’s benefit) are they concealing?
Who was that sheriff in Open Range…?
Or Silverado…?
Those are THE ONE’s natural picks for the job….
Hopefully the govt. is using some of this stimulus money to build printing presses. Also needed will be a good stockpile paper and ink. Plus lots of wheelbarrows for the citizenry to haul around the worthless dollars they will be cranking out when the full effects of Obamanomics take effect.
I lived in Brunswick in the mid-’80s and know this to be absolutely true. This demonstrates the fact that rich or poor, when the government waves “free” money around, character and principle go out the window. The Democrats understand this concept well and exploit human nature to full advantage.
Worse, when the dollar loses it’s present reserve status, no other country will take it.
Michelle, YOU ARE DEAD WRONG ON THIS ISSUE!!!!
I am one of the most conservatives on this site. AIRPORTS ARE ECONOMIC ENGINES.
The only way that a small airport, built in the 40’s-50’s can compete with other airports is through the Airport Improvement Act and Airport TRUST FUND paying for things. AIRPORTS CREATE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT PARKS AROUND THEM, even small one in rural towns.
Murtha screwed over everybody thru what he got in ‘political mis-use’ of the program.
DO NOT LABEL AIRPORT FUNDING AS WASTE. Otherwise, this site is a WASTE OF MY TIME in looking at it!!!
This administration is looking more and more like the “Sopranos” every day. President “Tone” and his cabinet are largely know-nothings about what they are doing, just like Toney “Tone” Soprano and his mob running a garbage business. Now Barney Frank wants to make on-line gambling legal so the government can rake in billions by regulating it. What’s next? Prostitution? Drugs?
And to think, BarryO even had the nerve to tell us that this was NOT pork. If it waddles like a pig, oinks like a pig, and wallows like a pig…
Where do I sign up?
According to the government, a reason for such a large homeless population in Hawaii is….
a shortage of overpasses. We need highway dollars so that we can build more overpasses on our interstates that, surprisingly, don’t go interstate.
ummm…Yes, I’m sure that airports catering to the rich in resort areas, will have industrial parks around them.
sarc
Hey Honey! Let’s go to Home Depot! I hear Sherrif Joe is there signing autographs!
Whhaa?? The daily enthralling recollections about the nuanced minutiae of my life is not enough in itself to hold your attention?
I feel disappointed with your position, because it keeps everyone else on this blog coming back every day. But if I need to, I will ’step it up’ a little bit just for you.
Stay with us…. it may just be liberal airports that we dont like
Jeff2161,
You’re an ***hole. I’ve been in Small airport management for 10 years, I would not want to be a ANY large airport…A GA airport is a ‘be all’ to all of his tenants.
F-off on the “RICH comment…Most pilots make under $50K/yr. They fly instead of playing golf or going fishing. Thrill of flying costs less than going to Disney/Six Flags and doing rides or going boating every weekend like I know a bunch of people do. After learning to fly, it is a lot cheaper to fly than people think it is.
I have been involved in the creation of airport repair shops, engine-builders (boat, car, airplane) that are in the industrial park, 3 flying schools, 2 aircraft builders and 4 FBOs (gas stations on airports). In one of the airport industrial parks, that has both aviation and non-aviation businesses are 3 warehouses, 2 call centers (aviation/car insurance and rental business), 4 restaurants, 1 house manufacturer, 2 trailer manufacturers, 2 real-estate companies, and a large industrial printing business.
Corporate aircraft can take “non-rich” to meetings and QA Operation tours of plants quicker and cheaper than flying commercial and driving 4-5 hours away from big-city airports.
Jeff2161, You need to get your facts straight next time.
Hey Jeff, I had a pretty good idea after the first little hissyfit that detolbert might just have a stake in airports and/or air travel. I didn’t get anything up quite in time before he answered that question for me with a second brilliant hissfit! Such anger!
Hunter,
Yes I have a stake in Small airports that are being hurt by disinformation tha all small airports are like Murtha’s. That’s like saying that all car repair shops (even the ones in skid-row areas) are for THE RICH, since Rich have cars too….
Here are two small-town airports that are the size of the discussed in the article. Northwest Texas Regional Airport-Denison,TX (about 60 miles north of Dallas) and Houma-Terrebonne Airport (Houma,LA-about 70 miles south of New Orleans). They have industrial parks created for AMERICAN BUSINESS.
http://www.northtexasregionalairport.com/tenants/
http://www.houma-airport.com/industrial-tenants.aspx
RabbidSquirrel
BTW, most do not like Obama, and fear ‘nationalization’. And are very conservative to ultra-conservative, like me.
For generations rural areas (that would be the red voters on the map)have been subsidized from rail, air, electricity, telecommunications, to the internet. And now you’re whining!
detolbert,
Most of us in the room can acknowledge the vitality that small regional airports can bring to a given population area.
We are, however, vehemently opposed to Federal funds, and consequently, Federal incompetence and oversight, being artificially injected into the private arena.
RURAL AREAS ARE RED STATES or are the RED COUNTIES in blue states….
What is with the anti-business development attitude on Michelle Malkin today?
Hangfire,
Should small-town stae and federal highways get repair money from Federal Highway Trust Fund to fix bridges and re-pave? Airports are the same.
The Airport Trust fund is about $10 Billion every year, and all of the 3,200 Airports (NPIAS federally funded) of all sizes that only get about $1-$2 Billion from Trust Fund, and about 5,000 other airports (some have as many as 200 based airplanes or do huge business) are not federally recognized and get no funding and are screwed.
Of the money used out of the Aviation Trust Fund each year, 70% is actually spent on FAA for Radar Facilities; Airplane Repair Inspectors; Airplane Manufacturing Inspectors like at Boeing; and FAA Equipment and Radar Upkeep and R&D. Airports (all sizes) get the DREGS, and only get funding when Pelosi isn’t stealing from the Trust Fund for social programs.
Please figure out a better way to fund airports so they are safe, well-maintained, and pilots are not at risk of bad facilities that can cause a crash, and I’ll be happy to agree with you.
Laissez-faire?
(idk, Im just P.O.’d that there were clouds covering the hot tub all afternoon at the exact time I was trying to get a tan. That is, UNTIL I had to come inside for a meeting)
To ALL:
Sorry I got carried away and monopolized the page….
In fewest words, here is the reason for our criticism. And OBTW, I live in a small town with a very nice airport that is having its main runway lengthened by 1,000 feet for all of the stated reasons you have articulated.
It is one thing to recognize an opportunity or a need and make a business case to get something funded for a small airport. It is an entirely different issue to dump a pile of borrowed money of the floor and then to give the appearance of stimulus by quickly parceling it out under who knows what kind of criteria.
That’s the objection here. Saying we are anti-business is like saying because we demand controlled borders and enforcement of the law we are anti-immigrant. What we want is responsible conduct and spending.
Nonsense. Keep going, its all good information. Sometimes someone just gets caught up in being razzed…
I starting to feel the urge for a $100 hamburger.
correction: I’m starting to feel the urge for a $100 hamburger.
Sorry, screwed-up that one.
I said that…
I have been involved in the creation of airport repair shops, engine-builders (boat, car, airplane) that are in the industrial park, 3 flying schools, 2 aircraft builders and 4 FBOs (gas stations on airports).
Actually, I had 2 very good bosses that did those things, but I did get to help them develop the airport tenants. But I was manager for a small airport and brought in a flight school and FBO operation.
Not covering my ass, but I just wanted to give credit to a really good airport manager that I have worked for.
Although I vehemently disagree with the stimulus – businesses make it or fail based on their business skills and management – I do take offense at the gratuitous swipe at pilots in general. I didn’t know I was rich either, except in the sense the Jimmy Stewart was “rich” in “It’s A Wonderful Life.” I fly when I can – dependent on funds and aircraft availability. One day, I will buy another one…till then, I rent to maintain my proficiency. But I am not fiscally “rich.”
And SSI is a nice little airport. I landed there a few times when I lived in Jax.
Just remember, a sterotype broad brush gets a lot of paint spread….even where its not needed or wanted.