Why Congress Cannot Operate Without The Bribing Power Of Earmarks
It seemed like a great victory at the time. After years of federal taxpayer dollars being misappropriated to pay for pet projects in the districts of congressmen and senators looking to curry political favor with the voters back home, a moratorium was passed in 2011 ending the Congressional pork parade known as “earmarking”. It appeared to make sense. Federal taxpayers had grown sick and tired of paying the bill for something like the construction and renovation of a botanica
Fairchild Buffers Gain Approval
Efforts to protect Fairchild Air Force Base from civilian encroachment took a big step forward with approval of new land-use regulations by the city of Airway Heights. The Airway Heights City Council on Monday unanimously approved a plan that follows recommendations from the U.S. Department of Defense for maintaining land buffers around the base for public safety. City Manager Albert Tripp on Wednesday described the new rules as “steadfast and unwavering protections” for Fair
A Washington in Need of Major Repairs
In 1962, Casey Stengel, the longtime manager of the New York Yankees, came out of retirement to lead the New York Mets, an expansion team. That season the Mets lost an astounding 120 games — which is within about 20 games of what Stengel used to win with the Yankees — and prompted him to ask a memorable question: “Can’t anybody here play this game?” That very question can now be asked about Washington. I found myself channeling Stengel last week when, incredibly, John Boehner
Space Coast EDC Gets Defense Grant to Upgrade Cape Canaveral Launch Processing Facilities
Brevard County, Fla., December 19, 2012 (Space Coast EDC PR) – The Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast is pleased to announce that it has been awarded $275,000 in 2012 Florida defense grants. The awards are part of Governor Rick Scott’s announcement of $2.4 million in defense grants this year to communities and organizations that support Florida military installations. The EDC received a $200,000 Defense Infrastructure Grant, one of just seven awards of t
Air Force Delays Short List Release of Bases to Get New KC-46
FAIRFIELD — The Air Force has delayed until mid-January its release of a short list of which bases will be finalists to get the new KC-46A aerial refueling aircraft. Political leaders who represent a host of large air bases from New England to California have spent the past several months lobbying to make sure their base gets on that list. Locally, groups such as the Travis Community Consortium and politicians such as Rep. John Garamendi have sung the praises of Travis Air Fo
113th Congress: This Time, It’s Out With the New
WASHINGTON — As a fund-raiser for a local college scholarship program, Rick Nolan understands how much it costs to send children in northern Minnesota to technical school. Having run a sawmill, he can speak like a logger. “I know what you can get for 1,000 board feet of lumber,” he said recently. “I know what you have to pay for stumpage.” But there is another piece of Mr. Nolan’s biography that until recently few voters wanted to hear about, and that few politicians would da
