TRACKING OUR LEGISLATORS SERIES - BOCCIERI: "FAILS TO GET GULFSTREAM 550s OUT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS BILL?"

There is no doubt with the SCPR that John Boccieri, if he had been in office, would have been part of the congressional chorus lambasting the CEOs of automakers, who had their hands out for a congressional bailout, when they flew to congressional hearings in private jets.

As well he would have been.

Most of us agree that "what is good for goose, is good for the gander."

But apparently not Congressman Boccieri.

Only Dennis Kucinich among the Ohio congressional delegation voted against H.R. 3326. Kucinich is well known for his opposition to defense spending.

No one expects U.S. Air Force Reserve major John Boccieri (Democrat 16th, which includes Stark County) to be voting against a defense appropriations bill. In fact, the SCPR believes that most Stark, Ashland, Medina and Wayne County constituents wanted Boccieri to vote for the bill.

However, a question remains.

Did Boccieri to have fight tooth and nail to get self-serving congressional excesses (the purchase of Gulfstream 550s) out of the bill?

The U.S. Air Force asked for one. So congress decided to piggyback under the cover of a defense appropriation bill to pad the bill to the tune of about $140 million.

What, if anything, did Boccieri do to stop this outrageous expenditure?

Did Boccieri's office send out a press release bragging about the "porkish" expenditure designed to have congressmen fly in style at taxpayer expense?

Of course, not.

But neither did we see a press release extolling Boccieri for his fight against the excess.

In the background we hear rumblings that Congress may consider raising middle income persons taxes to pay for all the stimulus and bailout monies coming to congressional districts across the nation including Stark and which Boccieri does crank out press release after press release on.

When taxpayers see $140 million in pork for congress itself, are they going to sit by and allow folks like Boccieri to vote for increased middle class taxes?

Somehow SCPR believes that we won't hear a word from Boccieri on the $140 million and his sitting idly by and just watching it happen.

For those of you who want to know how special this plane is, the SCPR has embedded the following video: