Posted on 09/16/2009 12:50:29 PM PDT by smoothsailing
DeMint to Force Vote to End Taxpayer Subsidies for Murtha ‘Air-Pork’
Airport received $200 million in tax dollars, averages only 20 passengers and 3 flights daily
September 16, 2009 - Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina), chairman of the Senate Steering Committee and Ranking Member of the Aviation Subcommittee, announced he will offer an amendment to end taxpayer subsidies for the John Murtha Airport, a little used 650-acre facility in Johnstown, Pennsylvania that has received at least $200 million in taxpayer funding. U.S. Congressman John Murtha (D-Pennsylvania), who the airport was named after, has personally directed $150 million in federal funds to the facility even though it only has 3 flights daily to one destination: Washington, D.C. In May, the House failed to halt funding to Murtha’s airport by a vote of 263-154.
“This is a test to see how serious we are about stopping wasteful spending. If we can’t stop this ridiculous abuse of taxpayer funds for a deserted airport, we can’t stop anything,” said Senator DeMint. “Hundreds of thousands of Americans just marched on Washington to protest out-of-control spending and debt. Millions of Americans are speaking out, but are we listening? This airport -- where the staff and taxpayer-funded buildings outnumber the passengers -- is a national embarrassment.”
“Congress must earn back America’s trust, and we can begin by drawing a line here. No more tax dollars to wasteful boondoggles that serve as monuments to politicians. Enough is enough. Sadly, the House failed to stop this, but the Senate has a chance to stand up for taxpayers. How can any of us justify to our children and grandchildren that we increased their taxes and debt to fund this waste?”
MORE INFORMATION ON MURTHA AIR-PORK
Named the John Murtha Airport, 650-acre state-of-the-art facility in Johnstown, PA
Received $200 million in federal funds over 20 years, $150 million steered by Murtha himself, who uses the airport for campaign stops
Only 3 flights daily, to only one destination: Washington, D.C. (Dulles airport)
Averages 20 passengers daily
Received $800,000 in stimulus funds this year to repave a backup runway, even though the airport manager says there are no safety issues with the current runway.
Has an $8.5 million radar system paid for by taxpayers, that remains unstaffed and unused.
Airport passenger count has fallen by 50% in the past 10 years, as federal funds continue to pour in
Federal funds subsidize every flight into the airport, an average of $100 per passenger on each flight
Jim DeMint, 2012
we need more demint and less murtha in d.c.
"When pigs fly!"
To be added to the Murtha Watch ping list please notify me.
Perhaps I’m delusional, but I’m starting to thing that the Republicans are growing some balls!
Very well said by Senator DeMint. Even though the RATS in the Senate know he's right I doubt he'll be successful with this, the Dems in the 111th are a corrupt machine.
Bump that. If Murtha can’t support our troops, then he deserves no support at all.
In fact, my opinion, is that he should be thrown out of congress and hope that the door doesn’t hit him in the rear as he leaves.
7-8ooo passengers a year and about $10,000,000 a year fed subsidy...let’s see ..do the math. maybe $1250 per passenger
flight. And we were worried about the bridge to nowhere?
No doubt about that.
I hope Demint can force a lenghy debate before a vote, it'll be a welcome smackdown to Fat Jack, and watching the Senate Dems sputter and fume will be fun!
That’s an especially good way of putting it. It’s probably just a coincidence that the three fights a day are all to Washington DC and Murtha just happens to commute to same. NOT!
ping
Demint the real deal along with Coburn!!!
Boy would that ever be fun to watch on C-Span! LOL!
That sums it up in a nutshell. Murtha is a loathesome disgrace.
Gee, for that price you could have put in an Amtrak stop.
I’m watching it now. Sen.Bob Casey(D-PA) is on the floor now defending the Airport. This is the same clown who was one of only 7 senators to vote for continuing the funding of ACORN.
Arlen Specter(former RINO now D-PA) also got up to defend the Airport, and now it appears the DeMint amendment has been set aside for now. I don’t know when DeMint will get a chance to introduce it.
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