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August 7, 2009

One Thing's For Sure, They Won't Be Using Them to Meet with Constituents at Health Care Town Halls

Monique Chartier

As reports of a less than agreeable reception for members of Congress at health care town halls have circulated, other congressional delegations around the country, not excluding Rhode Island's, have been strangely slow to schedule town halls in their own states. However, the tax-payer funded body which characterized the use of private jets by taxpayer funded auto executives as "arrogant" has found the time to ... er, order eight new jets for their own taxpayer funded use. Looks like Congress has gotten around to Speaker Pelosi's shopping list.

Again from today's Wall Street Journal.

The 737s, known as C-40s by the military, are designed to be an "office in the sky" for government leaders, according to Air Force documents describing the plane. The plane is configured with all first-class leather seats, worktables, two large galleys for cooking and a "distinguished visitor compartment with sleep accommodations."

Quoting Rep. Gary Ackerman (D., N.Y.)

“Couldn’t you have downgraded to first class or something, or jet-pooled or something ...?”

Our thoughts exactly, Congressman.