Do As We Say, Not As We Do

Bob Schieffer Considers the Congress' Ability to Ignore Public Outrage About Largesse When It's THEIR Largesse

(CBS)  When the leaders of the big three automakers flew to Washington in their private planes last year to ask for a federal bailout, Congress was not amused.

Lines of Capitol lawmakers heading for the microphones to denounce the auto executives got longer than the lines at airport metal detectors.

Even the automakers, who are hardly the role models when it comes to making swift decisions, quickly figured out they had stepped in it. They sold the planes.

What did Congress figure out form all that? Apparently, that taxpayers needed to buy more planes to haul THEM around.

This is one of those stories where about here we have to insert the words "I'm not kidding," but the House has approved spending a half-billion dollars to enlarge the fleet of Air Force planes that hauls members of Congress and officials of the federal government around.

Some of this is no doubt justified. The Air Force wants two planes to replace planes that are wearing out, and it wants to buy two aircraft that it is currently leasing.

But the House wants to buy four more planes that the Pentagon says it doesn't need or even want. It's Congress that wants them to meet its own growing travel needs.

The Wall Street Journal reports that House members spent 3,000 days overseas at taxpayer expense last year - that's nearly four times as many days they spent overseas 10 years ago - at a cost of $13 million, which is a ten-fold increase since 1995.

Nothing much surprises me any more, but when I read this stuff, I always wonder: Do they think no one will find out, or is it they just don't care?

[mr.tarver]

Let Them Buy That More Work For People Like Me.

[Resin-Smoker]

Just curious if any of our elected officials were in the air anytime just before or during the events of Sept 11th?

[IdahoCowgirl]

Oh, I forgot to mention the bogus global warming hoax--
what about their 'carbon footprint'?
If they TRULY believe their own lies, then why are they buying more jet planes that use that awful 'jet fuel'.
MAYBE because their is no global warming. They save their crap for us little people. We can change our lives, while they still get drove around in a cadillac and flown on private jets.
Ok, I am done venting.

Thanks CBS for finally doing some real journalism.

[IdahoCowgirl]

None of the politicians truly care. They aren't putting themselves on this healthcare plan they are trying to RAM down our throats, nor are they going to change their lifestyle as they ram the Cap and Trade/tax down our throats either.
Bunch of hypocrite s.o.b.s. I used to respect them, but now I am fully awake and watching all this lying, stealing of my hard earned money, corruption and I have lost trust and faith in our elected officials.
We need to fire congress now! They are stabbing us in the back and sneaking this amendment or that bill in the shadows or under the radar. They keep spending as if there is no credit limit....meanwhile the rest of us are watching our savings dwindle, our spouses loose their job, our unemployment run out, and I could go on and on. As we sink, they want to keep printing money, spend, travel, buy new jets, and then hey....here come the TAXES--as if we weren't taxed enough. I am so tired of all this corruption and taxes.

[pcherring]

In HR3200, what does the provision Public Health Workforce Corps provide in the way of health care? It looks like another government way to increase the federal payroll and insure that fraud remains a part of every government run sector.

[sjc_1]

Page 897

15 ??SEC. 340L. PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE CORPS.
16 ??(a) ESTABLISHMENT.?There is established, within
17 the Service, the Public Health Workforce Corps (in this
18 subpart referred to as the ?Corps?), for the purpose of en19
suring an adequate supply of public health professionals
20 throughout the Nation. The Corps shall consist of?
21 ??(1) such officers of the Regular and Reserve
22 Corps of the Service as the Secretary may designate;
23 and
24 ??(2) such civilian employees of the United
25 States as the Secretary may appoint.

(It sounds to me like they want to make sure that there are enough health care professionals. I would imagine the Wrong Wing Nuts will try and twist it into something sinister.)

[tenntom18]

I always wonder: Do they think no one will find out, or is it they just don't care?"

Much of the problem stems from the "public has a short memory" attitude of politicians, aided by a media that fails to follow up and keep issues before the public until they are resolved. CBS should have a "Top Ten Issues" file that is kept on the front burner until it is resolved.

PS: Years ago, CBS ran crawlers on the Evening News noting the national debt that particular day. This only lasted a few weeks then stopped. Why won't you consider doing this again and KEEP DOING IT???

[cameraphone]

Ask not what the government can do to support the people, but what the people can do to support the government in luxury.

[debb17055]

Did anyone consider the cost savings of having much more efficient planes? I heard the new planes will save a huge amount on fuel costs alone, not to mention the benefit to the environment. Just sayin...

[RSHouck3]

Why does foreign travel by our representatives get blasted? Flying in private jets - OK. But our government can and occasionally does learn from how other countries have solved the same problems we face. And we have seen what it means to go without any friends. Let's make some. Even if we disagree with our friends. So I say fight waste, but not every flight to Europe is a junket.

[siriusproductions]

Maybe they can buy the aircraft sold off by the automakers.

[stryker54]

easy solution. If they need to go somewhere do what the rest of Americans have to do. Take a commercial flight, might take longer but I'm sure they won't be missed much since it usually a vacation that is longd as a fact finding mission.

[drsuz]

How come is it they all got their undies in a bunch when something like this happened in the last administration, but NOW it is okay. Did they also mention that the $500 mil was going to come out of our defense budget? And what are House members doing jetsetting overseas? What type of business are they conducting? And who are the idiots that keep voting these same creatents back in term after term?

[stryker54]

the people that vote because lazy ass americans won't get off their butts to vote and have a say in their country. they just complain

[siriusproductions]

The defense budget was actually increased. If you'd check your facts, you'd know that.

[brooke50]

There is no law that I have ever heard, that requires Senators or Congress-people, to do what their constituents say.

This is CONGRESS, they have made the BIG TIMES and of course money! No one can tell them what to do -

I live in Ohio - I have not seen one letter or any type of chart released by the Ohio Senators or Congressmen, to show they are listening to Ohioans.

It would be a very simple chart: One example might be:

The Bill is - letters/calls for - letters/call NO - I voted this
CLUNKERS ...... 10 ................. 15 ............ YES

OUCH! A chart like this would prove they don't listen to their State citizens - scratch this idea - bad me! Bad!

[sjc_1]

I would support leasing jets for Congress to keep them off corporate jets. They get hours of "face time" with the corporate people, which is a form of intense lobbying.

I would also support Public Money for Public office. Tax dollars would offset corporate contributions. A corporation donates money to a candidate and all his opponents receive matching funds. Corporations can TRY to influence Congress, but we can render it far less effective and get OUR country back!

[christaiam]

"I would also support Public Money for Public office. Tax dollars would offset corporate contributions. A corporation donates money to a candidate and all his opponents receive matching funds. Corporations can TRY to influence Congress, but we can render it far less effective and get OUR country back!"


Smart idea!


I would like to see term limits for starters. As far as the flying, honestly I think they should all fly commercial like we do. These people need to not be treated like superstars. Not to mention, our commercial carriers need the business!!

[whatisnextamerica]

They do not care. Do as they want. We keep reelecting. You have sen. and rep. That have been in for decades or thier father and granfather was in before them. It is all them rep. or dem. vote them out. Tired of this.

[markj2]

Tipical of Congress, show outrage about everybody else doing something on the taxpayers dime, then do it themselves and think its ok.2010 can't come soon enough, its time to start cleaning house & senate of all the irrasponsible clowns that somehow got elected/re-elected to take care of the peoples business, but instead have taken care of there own. Then 2012, time to make a clean sweep and get rid of the clowns we weren't able to in 2010,then impose term limits of eight years for members of Congess.

[dfoun88383]

Do As We Say, Not As We Do. When I heard this on face the nation you could have knocked me over with a feather. I heard this a few days ago on Fox, but was very happy that you also told the story. I am all for sales of aircraft. General aviation could use the money and their employees can use the work.
I have been watching face the nation for years and today I am very glad I was watchingl.

Good Job Bob!
Thank you
Darryl

[Suzcomments]

Thank you, Bob Schieffer, CBS, and WSJ for informing taxpayers about the unbelievable, irresponsible spending by members of Congress. Did they need to visit car dealerships to learn about that meltdown? How did Charlie Melancon's (D-La) frequent (I assume) viewings of hurricane Katrina's devistation in his own state facilitate the clean-up and rebuilding(which STILL is not complete)of that disaster??!! At least his commute was shorter for that particular "show and tell".

To think that these representatives would take an 11 day excursion, with their spouses, at the very time when their country, including their own constitutients were entering an econcomic meltdown is....criminal. There is no good time to waste money and thumb their noses at taxpayers, but their timing was particularly disgusting. I'd like to travel to each of these representatives' states, attend their town hall meetings when they are running for re-election, and remind their constitutients of their irresponsible, selfish, elitiest behavior. Lets not wait for the next election. Lets investigate impeaching these clueless "un" representatives right now.


Next, the vote to spend one half billion dollars to enlarge the fleet of Air Force planes that schleps our representatives around (3,000 days overseas in 2008!!!). Again, outrageous. I am researching to determine how my own elected officials voted on this spending bill. And this was the vote when they KNEW that the Air Force did not need and did not want these additional planes.


Suzanne Kirk
Omaha, NE