RSS Feed for This PostCurrent Article

Pigs CAN Fly!

By Pat Racimora on April 25, 2009 at 9:30 AM in Abuse, John Murtha, Stimulus Plan, Tax stimulus package

webmirtharunway_edited-2

King of the Pork, John Murtha, has screwed us all big-time. You thought the “Bridge to Nowhere” was bad? Well, it seems the portly representative from Penensylvania has an airport named after him, so insigificant that CNN joked that it had recently been carpeted. So what’s the problem?

The John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport is not really all that small, it is mostly just very remote. As Jonathan Karl observed, any huge plane can land there. In fact, it’s actually quite impressive with its restaurant, lounges, and state of the art facilities and equipment. What it doesn’t have is traffic.

Most of the time the airport is deserted. It has a hangar, but no planes. It has an 8 million dollar radar system that no one uses. Compared to other hyper-high-stressed air traffic controllers, this one has almost nothing to do.

Nevertheless, Murtha had earmarked over the years close to a whopping 200 million of our tax dollars dollars for this airport used by almost nobody. Whereas an average of 20 people fly in and out of the airport in a day, Murtha has just requested and received an additional $800,000 in stimulus money to repave an alternate runway. (The regular ones are rarely being used as it is.)

If you really want to see red, watch a news clip describing this outrage.

This story (and others like it) are beyond depressing. Our tax dollars–stimulus package funds in particular–are supposed to help Americans who are having trouble feeding their families and staying in their homes. This legislator, and others I am afraid, don’t seem to give a damn about them.

  • I’m a Linda too

    Thank you for this post.

    And I’m glad no one I know is in his district. How the heck did those citizens vote to send this guy back AGAIN, to Congress?

    06 he was skating on thin ice, but the 08, it was pretty clear he should have gotten the boot. But noooooooo. That Democratic w a v e swooped up all the garbage and tossed them in to DC to run our goverment.

    • tek

      To replace the garbage that the Republican w a v e s in ’96-’04 brought in. Keep some perspective, or did you think the Republican Congresses for 12 years did a great job for average Americans?

      • Solara 7

        I want almost all of them out!

        Where’s a viable, “clean” third party I can join?

        • DaddysDarlin

          You, me and millions of others feel the same way. I too want to know when we are going to get around to naming a third party so we know who to support in upcoming elections, those who hold the same values as we do. We must name a third party, we must have time to organize and have a platform.
          I feel as though something about our Constitution would be great. The Constitutionalists? I think that used to be a real party. Just the Constitution party. Or how about THIRD PARTY, when number one and number two just wont do?
          I just want to be able to recognize those with my values in mind. I am a Puma, but I don’t know if everyone else is, PUMA the Party of the People, real Americans with real values to represent our citizens, not big business!
          IMHO, Peace!

      • clairtx

        I don’t see where your comment takes away the relevancy of waste that is going on now. Just because the Republicans misused funds is no excuse for what is going on now.

        This is corruption at its best disguised as helping average Americans.

      • I’m a Linda too

        Really? I thought the Democrats came in to power in the House in 06? Were you paying attention?

        And what poor argument when talking about the trash brought in to the Government in 08.

        I don’t find a winning argument “they did it, so we can”. Auh yes, change. rofl

        But, if we REALLY want to look at REALITY. The Democrats were enabling Bush’s policies and torturing when he first came in to office. Pelosi knew about the torturing…or what THEY called, “enhanced interrogation techniquies” in 02.

        And…when the Republicans were in the majority in Congress before Bush came in to power was during the best years of the Clinton administration. Sooooo, your point?

    • alibe

      I live in Murtha’a district. And we use to have traffic. But with the last few years, no trickle down here. We were a booming place with booming steel mills, fabricating plants, coal mines, clothing factories, hospitals, university etc. Now, after 8 years of Bush. We have had the life sucked out of us. If not for Murtha, I don’t know what would have become of us. Remember, Murtha was the first big time Congressperson to stand up to Bush and try to get us out of Iraq honorably. He is being targeted by the right and the left. Obama doesn’t want a Democrat pointing out we are not getting out of Iraq, especially from a Hillary supporter. And the Bush fools want payback for the ranking member of the Armed Services committee who had the nerve to say Bush and his ILK had no clothes. Don’t attack Murtha. He was a big time HILLARY supporter till the bitter end. He stood with her at every rally. The right brought in a carpetbagger from DC to try and unseat Him. We ain’t that stupid. Don’t you be! Let him alone!!!!

    • alibe

      Nothing like believing a CNN post. Remember, Murtha was a BIG, BIG TIME Hillary supporter. This is mostly BS. Not saying he doesn’t have his pet projects. Johnstown airport is in a very difficult mountain top place which is often fogged in. Much snow and sleet too. We need a good radar tower. We have needs here too.

      • Tricia Spiegel

        alibe–Most every politician has done good things. But power corrupts absolutely–and I think Murtha has been in the game for too long.

      • avwrobel

        alibe, I’ve been by the Johnstown area many times, and I had my head scratching about that airport. Esp. since there’s a good one in Altoona about, what?, 15-20 miles away. But I have no problem with Murtha, as true blue an American as their ever was. He saw the baloney of Obamania.

  • Carol HAKA

    On Fox News:

    Democrats are ending the “Middle Class Tax Cut” promised by Obama. (It was bull to begin with, but now they have to end the attempt to steal the loose change in our pockets they promised!)

    Can someone say: “Impeach them all”?

    • Tricia Spiegel

      Hear! Hear! Carol HAKA!

    • politicalidentitycrisis

      That took longer than I expected it to to be honest. It must be a 100 days in your face celebratory fist bump to Americans.

      All I can say to any Obama supporter who is shocked is:

      DUH, DUH, DOUBLE DUH!

    • http://noquarter foxyladi14

      I CAN…

  • http://patriotparty1 patriotparty1

    Along the lines of the American people being screwed by the politicians and the banks. Do you people realize what the POTUS told on himself the other day?
    He slipped and told the truth! In his answer to Ortega’s anti-American tirade Obama said he was glad they were not holding the bay of pigs against him because he was only 3 months old. Well as has been reported in some blogs, his online fraud record of live birth shows he was not born until a few months AFTER the bay of pigs.
    He just told us what happened just as some have thought. Indonesia would not let pregnant women travel, so his mother was stuck there to have him. She then traveled back to the states after his birth and they ran the announcement in the paper and had the record of live birth done just as anyone can do wheather they are born there or not.
    He told the truth about when he was REALLY born outside the US and then announced after she was back a few months later. Of course no one will report on this, but maybe, just maybe Judge Roberts has not been bought off and will eventually rule on the truth. Although no one has still explained how Obama got an audience with 8 of the justices alone when they had a case involving him before them. This is all too strange to continue to ignore.

    • John Smith

      Our system of government and elections are so screwed up that even though the question of birth has never been answered nobody seems to really care. I guess this whole democracy and enforcing the constitution is just a big illusion.

  • JohnnyB

    Good one Pat. I think there should be a “Pork of the Week” cartoon, like the Senator Proxmire used to do. Tell me, does Murtha use this airport to fly to Wash DC, is it his private airport?

    Murtha has been surrounded by controversy over the years, but is so powerful, that he always slides away free.

    I supported his Stop the War stance, but he sure has been silent on this since W. left office.

    • Pat Racimora

      AS I understand it, the ONLY flights in and out are to D.C. So, yes, it pretty much amounts to his private sandbox that we pay for.

      (I didn’t mention in my story that the government even subsidizes what flights there are! Truly, it is an outrage.)

      • JustMe~~

        my god this is really rubbing salt into an open wound! How can we stop all this no one in office seems to listen their all rummaging in the same pot to see who is lucky to get the highest handout!
        Then it’s bingo for them with our money…. Simply mind blowing..

  • nomobama

    Murtha is just like any other politician, and that is the problem. Everyone wants their representatives to bring home the bacon. They want federal money in their districts, which is a very myopic way of doing things. What I would like to see is tax dollars spent on sane policy. These “f”‘rs in government constantly have their hands deep in our pockets with little sensibility or accountability, and then they have the gall to vote themselves raises as if they are doing their jobs in an exemplary way. We need to use our votes to hold politicians accountable. If they are wasteful, then they need to boot.

    • Tricia Spiegel

      In California we have a special election coming up. One of the propositions is that legislators, including the governor, cannot get a raise in any year that the state is running a deficit.

      Now, that’s my kind of proposition!

      • nomobama

        I like that proposition.

      • http://noquarter foxyladi14

        i like it..

    • I’m a Linda too

      Oh no, Murtha is neck deep in his own graft and pay for play.

      And, I was also living in Cincinnati when he was making the comments about Marines, lumping them all together as doing horrendous acts when then former candidate, lawyer and Major in the Marines Paul Hackett got involved to represent the Marines.

      No, Murtha is NOT like all the others. He’s in a special class.

  • http://patriotparty1 patriotparty1

    That is just what Gov. Perry is talking about. Everything is backwards and has been for years and years. The money should not go to the Feds and then come back to the states in the form of pork for representatives, and federal money. It is the people’s money first, then the states money second, and lastly and the SMALLEST portion should go to the Feds. That is what the tea party people are saying. Return to the BASICS for government. Follow the constitution and you cannot go wrong. The feds should only receive enough to provide for the defence and secure the borders. The STATES should collect the tax money and provide for the states needs and send the feds their portion.

    • mountainaires

      I like that concept, Patriotparty, and 32 other states have voted resolutions–binding or otherwise–along those lines. State are broke; they cannot afford unfunded mandates from the Feds anymore. States have to operate on balanced budgets, even if Helicopter Ben and Obama want to spend us into bankruptcy. So, I hope to see the rest of the 50 states pass similar resolutions, and separate themselves from these reckless policies from our Fed and Treasury.

  • Rich

    Wonderful cartoon, terrible subject matter! I liked John Murtha when he first came into more public view, but he and Kennedy are both great disappointments and they both have their airport as their pet project, with taxpayer money. I thought that the Democrats under the leader ship of Obama, were supposed to be better then the Republicans in taking care of the taxpayers needs? What happened on the way to the White House? What taxpayers feel that the money spent so far has bee spent wisely? Chrysler looks like they are going to file for Bankruptcy anyway and Ford is taking about doing that also even though their sales were up. They could have done that earlier without our money.

    Having a good idea and wanting to help everyone as a concept sounds good, but without all of the details and not willing to pay for it makes it into an unworkable reality that creates disaster for all.

    Does anyone see term limits as a possible solution to politicians feeling that ones in they can do what they want including giving themselves raises while the country is in trouble. That sounds like the executives giving themselves bonuses, while their companies are going under and all with taxpayer money.

    Rich

    • Solara 7

      Rich, term limits are looking better and better to me. Now, if we could only find honest people who could stay that way to take these crooks’ place.

      • Diana

        I wonder how many signatures are needed to get Term Limits placed on the federal ballot?

        I think two terms or 8 years not only is enough for the president, it’s enough for Congressmen/women and Senators. They themselves are unwilling to change how things are done in Washington. Term limits seem to be the only way things are going to change.

        If people are that happy/satisfied with the job their representative is doing, they can vote them in for 8 years in Senate and then 8 years for Congress. Then they have to step down. There should be enough good people in either or that will be coming up for their second term to stop most of them from getting to comfortable. Plus, that would still give them the opportunity to serve 8 more years than the president. We have to send a shock wave through Washington that enough is enough from both sides.

  • Stan Davis

    Maybe he can use the runways for drag racing.

    Stan Davis
    Lakewood, CO

  • Peggy Sue

    John Murtha has already received the dubious honor of being named one of the “most corrupt members of Congress.”

    His reply?

    If he was corrupt it was because he was working hard for his district.

    I almost spewed my coffee on that one. This is the same district he labeled as backward and racist during the primary.

    On the other hand, I agree with JohnnyB. I was glad to hear Murtha speaking out against the War in Iraq. But his silence now is deafening. Partisan politics at its best.

    • alibe

      This pure political payback. He has his pet projects, but his pork can’t hold a candle to the real stuff the Republiscams did. Murtha is a decent man. I am in his district and I would stand with him anytime. He sure stood with Hillary.

  • http://sarainitalyblog.blogspot.com/ American Girl in Italy

    Three things –

    1. I LOVE the cartoon!!!!!!! So cute.

    2. This story makess me SO mad!! This is OUTRAGEOSU! I can’t beleive the crap they are getting awy with. Trransparency and responsibiltiy my ass!!

    3. I just got hoime from dinner with friends, and drank a bunch of wine, and now i cna’t type. hahah

    Great post pat!!

  • http://ksclematis ksclematis

    Pat, you certainly are bringing us the best and most truthful topics of our government in a way not many can otherwise comprehend. I saw the original ‘story’ about Murtha’s airport. I’m sure he does get money and perks for his district, but is that for the good of the Union? We are all taxpayers who support him monitarily as we do our own elected “screwers” whose main objective is to get the best photo ops so they get re-elected. It’s all for their own pocket-lining….I don’t have much faith in any of the politicians. We just don’t know what agenda each of them has.

    Thanks for another great ‘toon.