W E D N E S D A Y , A P R I L 2 7 , 2 0 0 5Congress Awash In Sleazy Junketsby Michael in New York on 4/27/2005 10:21:00 AMUSA Today reports that privately financed travel byCongressmen and Senators has totaled about 5400 trips in thelast five years -- half of them paid by non-profits who don'tneed to disclose who is paying the bills.</p><p> The total cost of theseprivate junkets? About $16 million.For a government that spends billions of dollars, is it reallynecessary to ransom our politicians' souls for a measley $16million just so they can cozy up to big business and take nicegolfing trips?Here's an easy fix: ban ALL travel financed by outside groupsof any nature.</p><p> If you are a Congressman or Senator youCANNOT accept any travel -- not a private jet to Scotland to hitthe links; not a taxi down the street.Create an annual slush fund for travel for these politicans,divide it up evenly, with more for seniority and more for headsof committees, who'd presumably need to travel more.</p><p> Letthem spend the money as they will, be it vacation orfact-finding mission, but EVERY SINGLE TRIP will be detailedand every one will be reported annually by law to theirconstituents, including price, length and purpose of stay and soon.</p><p> Once they're spending OUR tax money, see how often theygo on that "fact-finding" trip to London or Fiji, with moneyspent on golf and tennis and scuba diving.</p><p> Since lobbyists andnon-profits would be BANNED from giving them these gifts, itwould be one less source of sleaze in our government.</p><p> Add New CommentYou are commenting as a Guest.</p><p> You may select one to log into: Logged in as Logout from DISQUSLogged in asusing Facebook Connect (Logout)Type your comment here.</p><p> Daily KosPolling and Political Wrap-Up, 7/22/09 - After acouple of days filled with news, Wednesday gotkinda quiet.</p><p> Follow me for the days news...*IA-Gov: GOP-Sponsored Poll Shows CulverLeading GOP C...1 minute ago Crooks and LiarsC&L's Late Night Music Club With The Tubes - Title:White Punks On Dope Artist: The Tubes I havealways thought that The Tubes were underrated.They may be best known for songs like She's aBeauty and...37 minutes ago EschatonOn Financial innovation - Financial innovation hasgotten a somewhat deserved bad rap, because asMatt smartly pointed out earlier, so muchinnovation is really just regulatory arbi...39 minutes ago HuffPost PoliticsJames Crowley, Policeman Who Arrested Gates,Won't Apologize - NATICK, Mass. — A white policesergeant accused of racism after he arrestedrenowned black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. at hishome insisted Wednesday...40 minutes ago FiredoglakePecora in Perspective: Investment Banking,Commercial Banking, and Glass-Steagall - TheJ O H N ' S P H OT O S AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Congre...http://www.americablog.com/2005/04/congress-awash-in-sleazy... 1 of 57/22/09 11:46 PMPecora Commission report devotes a substantialamount of pages to discussion of the evils ofallowing the commingling of commercial bankingservices, i...1 hour agoShow AllA M E R I C A B L O G T V Visit our AMERICAblog TV site.see all 322 videos >I collect with vodpod In honor of SenatorDeMint For the GOPers, healthcare is politics.</p><p> They just Traditional media has todebunk the birthers One small step...</p><p> The right-wing media, thevoices of the GOP, in REM - Orange CrushNext 6AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Congre...http://www.americablog.com/2005/04/congress-awash-in-sleazy... 2 of 57/22/09 11:46 PMEzra KleinTab Dump4 hours agoWonk RoomSen.</p><p> Byron Dorgan:The ‘Trade’ InCap-And-Trade ‘MakesNo Sense To Me’5 hours agoHealth BeatTruth Squad: WallStreet Journal HealthCare Editorial Wrong onthe Facts . . .6 hours agoThe TreatmentHatch Is Out8 hours agoDaily DoseProviders Endorse 'Payfor Value' Proposals13 hours agoG AY P O L I T I C S Visit our new gay politicssection, AMERICAblog Gay.F E E D S Blog RSS AMERICAblog TV RSS Twitter RSSTwitter Feed Get the blog by email: Subscribe me!Tour to JordanHotels, Restaurants, InfosThe Jordanian OfficialTourism Sitewww.VisitJordan.comWant To Tour Brazil?Custom Trip Plans FromBrazil Travel Agents.Great Advice & Valuewww.Zicasso.com/BrazilTour the Amalfi Coast$2099: 10-Day tours ofItaly Including Air, Hotels& Morewww.GoAheadTours.comGalapagos NatureCruisesThe Leader In GalapagosEco-Tourism GuidedNaturalist Cruise & Tours!GalapagosExplorer.comCheap Flights from $49*Airfare Rates JustDropped! 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