The Parking Garage To Nowhere?

Congressman Rakes In Millions In Earmarks To Build Vacant Offices - And Parking For Them

(CBS)  Congress started a five-week vacation Friday. But before leaving, the House passed a bill that contains more than 500 earmarks. CBS News investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson has been investigating these expensive pet projects that lawyers slip into spending bills. And now, she's followed the money to a deserted office complex.

---

This tale begins in the small town of Nanticoke, Penn., population 9,500, where hometown Rep. Paul Kanjorski got more than $3 million federal tax dollars to build the "Kanjorski Center," an office building to attract business and help the local economy.

"I'm used to getting a great deal of money for my district," Kanjorski said.

But things haven't quite gone according to plan. The Kanjorski Center's main tenant moved out in 2005, and the building's been empty ever since.

"How much is the city paying for the building while it's empty?" Attkisson asked Pennsylvania state Rep. John Yudichak.

"The city's been paying about $15,000 a month while the building has been empty," he said.

Yudichak says the Kanjorski Center was ill-thought-out, and has become an albatross.

Now Kanjorski has a new plan. It involves millions more tax dollars to build a parking garage for the Kanjorski Center, in hopes of convincing a local community college to move in.

It'll cost taxpayers $5.6 million - money Kanjorski earmarked for the parking garage project. An earmark is a grant of money without the normal public review.

But there's one big problem: federal aid can only be used for parking garages that serve mass transit ... it's not intended for office parking in a congressman's hometown. When Kanjorski was notififed his project is contrary to federal rules, he said it didn't matter.

"I don't think the rule should be there," Kanjorski said. "I don't think the rule should have any attention paid to it. Becaus in Congress we have our own rules."

It turns out local officials like Yudihak also object to Congressman Kanjorski's parking garage.

"We saw it as a huge liability," Yudihak said.

Congressman Kanjorski calls that sour grapes from a political rival, a fellow Democrat, and says local residents should be happy to get the grants of money he brings home.

"You call these federal and state grants 'free money.' The quote is, 'I don't know anyone who would turn down a free building. It would be funded with, quote, free money,'" Attkisson said. "'From federal and state grants.'"

"For the community, it is free money," Kanjorski said.

"But it's not really free. Taxpayers are paying for it," Attkisson pointed out.

"It is the taxpayers of the United States' money," Kanjorski said. "But it doesn't cause any difficulty to the community to take the money."

"It is not free money!" Yudichak said. "It's taxpayers' money. In my view, the congressman looks at federal earmarks, the $5.6 million, as play money."

Regardless of whether the town wants to play, Kanjorski now says he'll do whatever it takes to build his parking garage with some of that "free money," better known outside of Washington as your tax dollars.

[mcndrws]

This Is Why Paul Kanjorski Must Be Replaced By Lou Barletta, The Mayor Of Hazleton, PA. Who Is Running Against Him In The Fall. Kanjorski Is Out Of Touch With Reality. He Has Been On A Free Ride In Congress For Way Too Long!

[msjudithann]

I am incensed by the attitude of this congressman. His "free money" concept X total US congressmen = waste, high taxes and out of control debt. Evidently laws do not apply to this congressman. They have their own rules. HA! No news there.

[wellhell3]

lol, Garsh!

[hpsmd]

I saw this story. It is outrageous what Congressman Kanjorski said. I would think anyone-regardless of party affiliation should be disgusted and angry regarding this politicians comments. Any politician who thinks this way should be removed from office. I hope the voters punish him in his next election.

[tllongley]

It is apparent that Mr. Kanjorski has forgotten who he works for and collects a paycheck from! When a politician makes a statement that our tax dollars is free money for them to spend as they wish then it is time for him or her to obtain new employment. The people of this country work hard for their money and don''t appreatiate it when it is misspent in any way. We are not credit cards that they can swipe across a machine when ever they wish to fund something as idiotic as a parking garage for an empty bldg. He built it using American tax dollars and then named it after himself it is only fair that he use his own money to build the garage.

[brianbwb-2009]

"It is the taxpayers of the United States'' money," Kanjorski said. "But it doesn''t cause any difficulty to the community to take the money."

But it does cause difficulties for other more necessary programs whose budgets are cut by the amount of these earmarks. Economics is, contrary to the denials of neocon economists, a "zero sum game", and such an attitude as expressed by Kanjorski causes just one more stroke towards the "death of a thousand small cuts", of public services, and US quality of life.

[rumboogie3]

Thanks to Sharyl Attkisson and her excellent reporting on this subject, we''re all aware of the misuse of taxpayers money. Its now time to do something about. Write your elected official, write to AARP and any other agency that could help. I''m tired of seeing our hard earned money going to waste.
Its time for a change.

[slim1h2o]

a "zero sum game", and such an attitude as expressed by Kanjorski causes just one more stroke towards the "death of a thousand small cuts", of public services, and US quality of life.

Posted by brianbwb at 03:24 AM : Aug 02, 2008

Well said!

[pattipace7]

Perfect example of why term limits are necessary, just a few years ago it was 7 million of tax payers%u2019 money obtained by Kanjorski for his families business that then went bankrupt. Donate the building to the heart of Nanticoke; Luzerne County Community College and elect Lou Barletta in November. Kanjorski will still receive $170,000 dollar a year salary (plus raises) and the best medical care available upon his retirement.

[likeitis5050]

Kanjorski is just one of how many in Congress who quietly feel the same way about our money? This man, first of all, clearly implies rules do not apply to the government, specifically Congress! It''s exactly this kind of attitude that is ruling the entire process right this minute. Secondly, this is exactly why approval ratings are at an all time, historic low.

This game they play with earmarks is not unlike the game of Monopoly except they are using OUR money!

Shut this place down and audit every single one of them. We need to have in place a committee who can essentially ''take over'' in critical times such as this and remove all of Congress from power until they have been audited and cleared to return to their elected duties.

This is shameful.

[m87medic]

Mr. Kanjorski, a perfect example of why American Taxpayers have little faith in Washington.

[caldwellptr]

I must say thise are my favorite lines in the whole article, "I don''t think the rule should be there," Kanjorski said. "I don''t think the rule should have any attention paid to it. Because in Congress we have our own rules." It is interesting to see the divergence in the rules for government and the rules for those governed.

[thepitbull13]

I could tell by reading the article by not mentioning a politcal party affiliation that this was a Democrat. No doubt in my mind if it were a Republican it would have been published.I had to search other resources to get a answer.See BS news is not partisan.

[darkfyreaol]

thepitbull13: He''s not a democrat, I''m a Democrat.

-HE- is lacking in higher brain functions.

[spadeisspade]

I will be looking forward to more of Attkisson''s "follow the money" articles. This one is actually very, very minor compared to some of the other''s I''ve read about.

[skyfly757-2009]

Rep. Kanjorski''s attitude is irresponsibly arrogant and makes me sick at my stomach. Unfortunately, I''m afraid his is only the ''tip of the iceberg''. If his constituents had an ounce of sense, they would vote this ''pig-at-the-public-trough'' out of office at the next election! God help us; no wonder that our Congress has a 12% approval rating.

[deacon20081]

Posted by thepitbull13 Can you not read a story?

Congressman Kanjorski calls that sour grapes from a political rival, a fellow Democrat, and says local residents should be happy to get the grants of money he brings home.

It doesn''t matter what party affiliation it is these senators and reps have to be kicked out of office and refused their life time benefits.

[j0xujahc]

What Penn Dot could do with that money!
Maybe it could be used to fix the 83-581 mess?

[txgrouch2006]

Paul Kanjorski has been in office since 1985.

TWENTY THREE YEARS.

Another argument FOR term limits for ALL elected officials.

[txgrouch2006]

"...in Congress we have our own rules..."

What an utterly contemptible BA$****.

BTW, he''s a Democrat.

[txgrouch2006]

Assignment for Obama: and Executive Order imposing term limits on ALL members of Congress.

[curious_mind]

What they need is a tennant. Here is how it is done. You give the building to a con man who rents empty rooms to the state. It can be a payoff for the con man to act on behalf of dead weight state leaders who have not been able to make an honest living since slavery was abolished. This is a true example and they want to give him a larger building so the state can rent more vacant rooms. Unfortunately the example is not in Pennsylvania but if they ever want to establish a totally corrupt government this is an interesting way to make use of the building. Just model their state and local govermnent after SC.

[thcarson-2009]

On May 22, 2008, a video of Kanjorski at a townhall meeting on August 28, 2007 surfaced on YouTube inwhich he admits that Democrats "stretched the facts" during the 2006 elections in order to win back a majority of Congress.

"I''ll tell you my impression. We really in this last election %u2014 when I say we, the Democrats %u2014 I think pushed it as far as we can to the envelope, we didn''t say it, but we implied it. That if we won the congressional elections, we could stop the [Iraq] war. Now anybody was a good student of government would know that wasn''t true. But you know, the temptation to want to win back the Congress, we sort of stretched the facts and people ate it up."

[bocabob6]

The next one in line should be Wexler FL 19. Hes doesn''t even live in the state. Pays no State Income tax and lives in Maryland. What a rip off to the people of MD.

[timdgrim]

"It is the taxpayers of the United States'' money," Kanjorski said. "But it doesn''t cause any difficulty to the community to take the money."
***********
This guy is a Congressman!! To borrow an old Archie Bunker phrase, "YOU (Kanjorski) are a dumb P*****K!

[rwsmith29456]

Quoted from article - "I don''t think the rule should be there," Kanjorski said. "I don''t think the rule should have any attention paid to it. Becaus in Congress we have our own rules."
Does more need to be said???

[karela33]

If Yidichak''s a democrat, let''s get him instead. Kanjorski is as irresponsible and unaware as republican Senator Stevens of Alaska with his bridge to no where. Being an unintelligent jerk is not limited to one party or the other as Mr. Kanjorski and Senator Stevens have shown us this week----yet again. The earmark law needs to be overhauled. It is an important way that states get important projects paid for that are necessary and legitimate, but obviously some sort of oversight and control is needed. The voters side of things is to stop looking at our congressmen and senators as sugar daddies from Washington who bring us goodies home after going looting through the taxpayer''s money. How could this guy be so irresponsible when every penny he wastes is going on the national credit card? Jerk!

[babooph]

Hold on -with all those cars without fuel $,we will have to park them somewhere.

[macmanus1-2009]

I''m glad to see Congress taking a responsible approach to the growing parking issue. We can''t keep the American economy going by manufacturing more and more cars and then not a having a place to put them when we''re not driving them. I think we should open up the Arctic Natural Wildlife Refuge for parking too. I know when we take drive our Ford Excursion up to Yosemite every year, I never can find a parking spot. That''s a place that sure could use some parking. We should be allowed to park on public beaches as well. I hate having to walk over hot sand just to get down to the water.

[vincan-2009]

I saw the program about this on Fox News. It was rather odd that Fox would start caring about ear marks at all. I do give them credit for being fair. They named this Democrat and a republican, and spoke with the republican man who tried to do something about ear marks and was removed by the republican honchos because they did not like him really doing something about ear marks. Since this article doesn''t mention anyone other than this one Democrat I don''t find this article fair or as well done at Fox''s special on earmarks.

[krisd999-2009]

Now you know why socialist countries collapse. It''s coming to America.

[nancysellers]

THIS IS OUTRAGIOUS!!! This needs to be stopped!!! Our country is becoming a country of waste. We pay the taxes and they misuse the money. This is not right at all.