Tea Party Favorite Touts . . . Federal Spending?
Activism, Headlines Friday, March 18th, 2011
By Patrick O’Connor, The Wall Street Journal
Republican Rep. Allen West, a tea-party favorite from Florida, railed against earmarks and out-of-control government spending on the campaign trail last fall. But he’s happy to claim credit for a little federal largesse.
Rep. Allen West (R., Fla.) speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in February in Washington. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
Mr. West, who unseated an incumbent Democrat last fall, issued a press release this week announcing a $21 million grant to help fund a project to lengthen the second runway at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
“This runway is long-awaited and much-anticipated,” Mr. West said in the release. “At this crucial time for our economy, it is imperative that we encourage this kind of development, which will bring thousand of jobs with it and boost tourism – South Florida’s number one economic engine.”
But for those on hypocrisy watch, the money did not come through an earmark, but rather a federal grant for airport improvements. The fund –the Airport Improvement Program – is financed through a combination of gas taxes, passenger fees and other levies assessed on air travel.
To read more, visit: http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2011/03/18/tea-party-favorite-touts-federal-spending/
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Posted by reteaparty on Mar 18 2011. Filed under Activism, Headlines. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
