Congress's Next Giveaway

Washington Post ^ | September 7, 2009 | Jim DeMint

[kingattax]

After a month of the American people voicing unrelenting outrage to their elected representatives about the level of spending, debt and government intervention in their lives, a beleaguered and unpopular congressional majority returns to its haven of Washington this week. Incredibly, the first item on the Senate agenda is a bill to create a new and unnecessary government tourism advertising agency. Call it Fannie Travel.

The $400 million Travel Promotion Fund, set to be created if the Senate passes the Travel Promotion Act (TPA) this week, is perhaps the perfect illustration of the disconnect between the American people and their representatives in Washington.

The bill would impose a $10 fee on foreign visitors to the United States and use the money to fund an international advertising campaign encouraging the world to travel here (Imagine: "Come to America, so we can tax you at the airport!"). The advertising fund would be controlled by leaders of America's tourism industry -- giant corporations such as Disney, Loews and Marriott. Keep in mind, those companies are not in distress -- they're thriving. Disney, for instance, posted profits of $4.4 billion last year, and bought Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion just last week.

The American travel industry already spends billions every year on advertising with tens of millions focused on international marketing. The purpose of the Travel Promotion Act is to subsidize that advertising.

No thanks.

[Doogle]

....they have got to find a way to spend tax dollars.....putting it back never crosses the mind

[cripplecreek]

Personally I think there will be a media bailout at some point.

[kingattax]

of course there will. good call

[Grut]

...putting it back never crosses the mind

Oh, I'm sure it does. Imagine your congressman, writhing in his sleep, crying out "Unclean! Unclean!"

[cripplecreek]

Ratings means money and they have chosen ideology over ratings. I don’t want to bail out stockholders who should be screaming bloody murder now.

[Melchior]

Jim DeMint is a Senator to be proud of. And then there is Graham. What a contrast.

[ballplayer]

I can see the Nice Junkets the Congressmsn will be taking to promote this too.

[La Lydia]

This legislation is sponsored by Byron Dorgan, Dem of North Dakota, that well known tourist haven, and has 52 cosponsors, including a huge bunch of Republicans who should know better, such as Lama Alexander, Kit Bond, Sam Brownback, Thad Cochran, Johnny Issackson, Mel Martinez, and John Thune. What in the world are they thinking? All have a bad case of "Other People's Money."

[upchuck]

Jim DeMint doing the unthinkable; using common sense in Wash DC.

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[stephenjohnbanker]

“Personally I think there will be a media bailout at some point.”

I’m thinking a bailout of Sulzberger, the idiot son who ran the New York Times into the toilet.

[stephenjohnbanker]

Your tax dollars bailing out a left wing corporation that netted 4.4 billion last year ;-)

[visualops]

LOL!!!!

the recent tea party videos show just exactly what these guys (and gals) think when pressured “ you can’t tell me how to run my congressional office! peons!”