Comments on: Congress: livin’ the high life

By: Mr. K.

Mr. K. — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 16:34:33 +0000

Government should take advantage off all the telecommuting technology available that allows corporations to outsource entire factories to other countries: email, VOIP, video chat. Many trips and business meetings I’m sure would be found completely extravagant and unnecessary. It’s sickening to see elected officials behave as if they’re royalty – they’re not.

By: NoStaplesPlease

NoStaplesPlease — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 15:05:33 +0000

While this will never go away, I’m sure there’s plenty of advantage-taking going on. At least in Roy Blunt’s case I’m pretty sure it was to the best interests of the GOP –

From my hometown Springfield News Leader today: “Blunt went to more than 100 GOP districts to support candidates in the 2004 elections, Taylor said, adding that each trip was properly paid for and reported in accordance with House ethics rules and the law.”

100 trips isn’t cheap. It’s still definitely something to watch out for. And members of Congress should be up front about when and why they accept some monies from private interests.

By: andrew

andrew — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 14:40:06 +0000

“Unfortunately, the last five years have seen Republicans in DC squander the political opportunity of a lifetime: with their majorities in the House and Senate, along with a Republican President, cutting gov’t spending and reducing the size and scope of gov’t should have been a no-brainer.”

These guys are interested in power and majority. Not philosophy.

By: Jim M

Jim M — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 14:07:47 +0000

If Congress would pass John Linders R(GA) HR25 The Fair Tax it would eliminate a lot of this. Check it out at Fair Tax.org

By: stackja1945

stackja1945 — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 13:48:21 +0000

Tell Congress members and tell the lobbyists no money, no gifts are to be exchanged for “favors” and any infringements means a crime is committed.

By: scmommy

scmommy — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 13:36:25 +0000

Notice this from the WaPo:

“The center’s study illustrates how widespread the practice has become, for both Democrats and Republicans. Of the 25 individual lawmakers who accepted more than $120,000 worth of travel during the period, 17 were Democrats. Of the two dozen congressional offices on which private trip sponsors spent the most money, 15 were Republican, the study said.”

This culture of corruption the dems talk about – like it is all repubs and not them – will come back to bite them in the ***.