Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) yesterday released its preliminary analysis of the Fiscal Year 2009 Military Construction/Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act.  The report included 172 projects worth $1.2 billion, compared to 191 projects worth the same amount in fiscal 2008.  Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) racked up $29.9 million in pork.  House Armed Service Committee Chariman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) led all representatives with three projects totaling $15.1 million. 

Citizens Against Government Waste is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to “eliminating waste, fraud, mismanagement and abuse in government.”

MOPNS FLASHACK

Now on to China…
8/27/07 

The Missouri Political News Service is pleased to announce that the first leg of Congressman Skelton’s South Pacific Congressional junket was a resounding success. As we reported earlier, Congressman Skelton was in Guam last week to attend the Guam Industry Forum. According to it’s website, the forum was to “provide for interaction with industry related to the multi-billion dollar construction program for the anticipated military build up on Guam.”

According to this local Guam blog, Skelton was a “big hit.” But why wouldn’t he be after making comments like these:

“This buildup … is a strategic decision that has been made at the highest level, that the Congress of the United States must cause to happen.”

“This will be the tip of the national security spear for our country here in the Pacific.”

Congresswoman Bordallo, Guam’s delegate to Congress, had these comments regarding the military buildup and the forum:

“Private industry will be the backbone of the buildup and close cooperation and collaboration now between all parties involved is critical in ensuring the ultimate success of these projects.”

If you need any more clarification on the true purpose of the forum, a businessman with interests in Guam put it succinctly:

“What it really does though is it starts to move things down from the 100,000-foot level to the 50,000-foot level and to see how the monies going to be spent. Who is going to supply it what funds will come out of the government.”

Next stop. China

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