Your tax dollars at work!
We foot the bill, upwards of a million bucks, for the number of people who attended my wedding to go to Copenhagen!
CBS: Thanks to a recently filed Congressional expense reports there’s new light shed on the Copenhagen Climate Summit in Denmark and how much it cost taxpayers.
CBS News Investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports official filings and our own investigation show at least 106 people from the House and Senate attended – spouses, a doctor, a protocol expert and even a photographer.
Read the Congressional Expense Report
For 15 Democratic and 6 Republican Congressmen, food and rooms for two nights cost $4,406 tax dollars each. That’s $2,200 a day – more than most Americans spend on their monthly mortgage payment.
CBS News asked members of Congress and staff about whether they’re mindful that it’s public tax dollars they’re spending. Many said they had never even seen the bills or the expense reports.
Copenhagen Congressional Junket
Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., is a key climate change player. He went to Copenhagen last year. Last week, we asked him about the $2,200-a-day bill for room and food.
“I can’t believe that,” Rep. Waxman said. “I can’t believe it, but I don’t know.”
But his name is in black and white in the expense reports. The group expense report was filed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. She wouldn’t talk about it when our producer tried to ask.
Pelosi’s office did offer an explanation for the high room charges. Those who stayed just two nights were charged a six-night minimum at the five-star Marriott. One staffer said, they strongly objected to no avail. You may ask how they’ll negotiate a climate treaty, if they can’t get a better deal on hotel rooms.
Total hotel, meeting rooms and “a couple” of $1,000-a-night hospitality suites topped $400,000.
That’s not counting how much it cost to get them all there. And imagine the carbon they spewed into the air!
I wonder if this sort of thing will be outlawed under Obama’s spending freeze.
Via memeorandum.
“You may ask how they’ll negotiate a climate treaty, if they can’t get a better deal on hotel rooms.” Hahahahahahaa!
Since they are truly so clueless on this simple matter, and since the president himself gutted Las Vegas with a flippant remark—-could we schedule the next big summit here in LV? I know a guy who can help with room rates….if anyone is allowed to come here now, that is. Lots and lots of unemployed people courtesy of the president’s remark—I’m sure they’d love to see him pack the city, even if it’s a convention package deal….
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That’s a great idea, Liberty! Plus, isn’t it hot in Vegas. They’ll look less idiotic talking about global warming if there’s no blizzard!
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Who’s calling for hearings? Where is the investigative outrage from our politicos? Who will hold accountable those that did the over the top, opulent spending? I’ll bet no one. Same ol’, same ol’, and it mostly doesn’t relate to which party is doing it. It’s their elitist mentality that they use to square in their minds they know better, therefore deserve better and are doing it all for the “people”. I define them as garden variety opportunists in pursuit of their own pleasures and power at another’s expense otherwise known as a politician. It will not stop if relegated to one’s own measure of character. It can only stop by rules of limits to the reins of power, for little if any compensation. Just as any person serving in the U.S. Military, it’s called public service for a reason. Maybe we could start with something like a simple policy only exempting the President, stating that any and all expenses for congressional junkets must be paid for out of pocket and will be compensated interest free for after a period of not less than one year. Let’s see if one of those “Royalties” on the people’s dime wants to personally float that kind of money.
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It makes me feel better to know that these are the people who are represnting struggling Americans who can’t even afford a cut-rate vacation. Occupancy rates in Daytona Beach the last few months have been somewhere around 5%. And that’s with cut rates.
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And by the way, it’s those weird Ultra right wing maniacs at CBS again. Bunch of conservative bomb-throwing tea-party freaks at CBS. The”ve always been like that. Sure.
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After a bit more thought, I was wondering how it would work out for each State government to fund its own representatives activities while serving. Maybe it would bring accountability a bit closer to the local voter’s level at election time. Kind of like a parent monitoring what their kids spend using their credit card while away from home. It’s a tough problem when you’ve extended the exact control and trusts to people that prove themselves unworthy of and break on a daily basis.
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I was staring at a black tv screen that was supposed to be a congretional hearing when a sentence popped up in white letters that read:
“This is government transparency, our cameras are in the room at this very moment. We told you we would have televised meetings on all political decisions that affect your lives.”
The screen went to black again, and then another sentence appeared:
“We never promised the lights would be on, or that the sound would be broadcast”
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