I wonder how much Speaker Pelosi’s trip cost the American people?
What was personal? What was actually on behalf of the American people?
I’m just askin’.
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She was part of a congressional delegation, and it included her receiving an award from the Italian Government for being the highest ranking Italian-American in the American Government. Since the award revolved around her political office, and other congressmen attended, and she demanded and got her own private plane several years back, I’m guessing that you and I are holding the bill.
These Congressional Delegation (CODEL) trips are paid for by the Executive, out of the Legislative Liaison Offices.
In this case, Air Force led the CODEL, so the cost sharing was likely only between Air Force and State Department.
Air Force would eat the cost of the plane, fuel, and any lodging/food domestically. State would cut per diems to members/staff overseas. Members/staff for Leadership would likely get enhanced per diem. Per diem would cover hotel/food costs.
It all depends on how you would like to calculate cost here. Would you include O&M cost to fly the plane? Include fuel cost per member, permember/staff, per member/staff/support personnel? Do you decrement the age of the aircratf against future O&M obligations?
It could be made to look very reasonable, or extraordinary, depending on how you would calculate it?
Who cares. She should have been excommunicated for her heretical views!. You know like +Williamson. But Pelosi’s actually goes against Catholic doctrine and is also promoting genocide against innocent babies today.
The fact is she flew on a government aircraft that reportedly cost roughly $10,000 per hour to fly. It is estimated that the flight cost are about $200,000.00 by themselves. This after the Congress has attacked private enterprise for excessive travel expenses. It doesn’t matter how you hide the expenses in the Air Force or the State Department. We the American taxpayer foot the bill for these junkets around the globe. One such government travel including private citizens is in India to commeorate Martin Luther King’s journey there to study Ghandi’s philosophy. Nice!
“Do you decrement the age of the aircratf against future O&M obligations?”
I want to see it calculated with per minute depreciation for as long as the aircraft was in the air. If we can classify the state expenses as part of standard Italian Embassy budget, and include the staff and fuel costs as a benefit of the recent economic stimulus, I remain 100% confident that a good accountant can demonstrate how the American Taxpayer made money from this trip.
It absolutely does matter how the cost is calculated.
You can estimate it costs $10,000 to fly that aircraft, or you could put pilots in it who MUST fly those HOURS for training requirements anyway and degarde the cost to virtually nil. Or, you could argue that flying ANY airctaft in the military costs over $100,000 per hour on the basis of historical training, O&M, and developmental costs.
The idea that $10,000 is a “good” figure or credible is laughable. It’s just a figure that some people found to be comfortable with.
Now, if Pelosi took this trip on private $, she would probably be accused of allowing people to have undue influence.
The real question is, is it ever necessary for Members of Congress to travel on these types of trips?
LCB… I have to laugh….. but you get it.
One can make the numbers say anything.
I think we should be focused on the shame that, the Pope didn’t slap her mouth and excommunicate her… Then we all would have been more than happy to say that:
We the American people paid for Speaker Nancy Pelosi to fly to Rome to pick up her shiny new Decree of Formal Excommunication from BXVI.
hehe. Oh, if wishing made it so. :-P
My question is: Did her dependent (?) spouse pay his own way? I have had to on certain govt trips and he should too!! That includes transportation, services, food, lodging. AnneG in NC
“I remain 100% confident that a good accountant can demonstrate how the American Taxpayer made money from this trip.”
LOL! That is absolutely true.
Frankly, if the pope’s message gets through to her… I’d say it was money well spent.
His message WILL get through to her. I pray that it is while she is still alive with an ability to do something about it.
Wouldn’t it have been cheaper for someone from Italy to come over here and present her award on her own turf? After all, that is where she is the reigning top Italian girl.
I confess that most of my information on this issue comes from watching CNN in the company canteen this morning. What struck me odd was that CNN was actually asking tough questions and casting the entire affair in a very bad light. They spent a bit of time going over all of the non congressional types on the trip, as well as the very touristy character of much of the itinerary.
Suffice it to say this one ain’t dead yet. And sorry for diving off topic, but neither are the questions about Burris, and Rahm Emmanuel and others. This administration is taking on a very Tammany cast.
Well considering the fact that she met with the Holy Father and he admonished her, I have no problem helping to foot that bill.
Well considering the fact that she visited the Holy Father and was admonished by him, I have no problem helping to foot the bill.
For aircraft costs, flying DC to Rome, at 3885 nm each way on a C-32 (757), block time of 9 hrs each way,burning 1100 gph, at $2.10 per gallon in US, higher in Italy, figure $45-50,000 for fuel alone.
American people made money? So we must have these pilots fly. Hummm…Are you on the budget commitee LCB or you just don’t give a hoot as long as somebody spends money. This mission was launched by the Speaker to inhance her position of power and hopefully get a photo op with the Pope. That failed and she got teh doctrine explained. She ignored his teaching. This is a woman who is trying very hard to be very powerful even overshadowing the President if possible. If MLK went to India to study Ghandi I suspect that Pelosi went to Italy to study Lucretia Borgia and may some of the Medici. If you think “we” made money she has managed to pull a large wool blanket over your head.
I don’t know who paid for the trip, but I give 3 cheers to the Pope for (1) not allowing any photos (2) making it very low profile; it seems the Vatican is getting smarter in the PR department- not allowing itself to be manipulated. I hope Bishops in the US take note- are you in any way being manipulated by pro-abortion Catholic politicians??
In my estimation, there is absolutely no reason for this creature to be traipsing around the world. Her position as House Speaker has nothing to with govt-govt interaction and liasons. If her running around is aimed at making nice-nice, then she’s doing is being annoying and creating resentment. The cost of her trips is needless regardless.
=====
Bob K wrote:
“Who cares. She should have been excommunicated for her heretical views! You know like +Williamson. But Pelosi’s actually goes against Catholic doctrine and is also promoting genocide against innocent babies today.”
)(
Good point, Bob. Actually she already is by default according to Canon Law. Nonetheless we see the two-faced behavior regarding Williamson and NP.
Larry:
I think you were confusing me with LCB. Am I on the Budget Committee? No. I work for another one that deals with federal dollars.
You seem to conflate the things we were saying.
However, I would agree with LCB’s analysis that if you depreciate the aircraft on a per mile basis and make other certain assumptions, we could get it scored at least as a net neutral out of CBO.
Larry,
My whole comment about depreciating the aircraft, etc, to make the trip a money maker was a satire of what accountants and numbers wonks are able to do.
And I loved the Borgia comment.
Well, I think that they should just have to fly on a reg plane. I think it’s good that she went, she can’t deny anything now even to herself. I just hope that she changes her views, because she could possibly lead many Catholics to a false view of morality on BC and abortion.
Sad.
On admonishing the Pope, he’s a pretty smart fella, I bet he has a plan.
From what I understand the cost to the American taxpayer was minimal.
The cost to the Speaker’s dignity was a bit steeper.
That’s worth whatever we paid.
I say it was worth it. We should be happy to pay for all of our pro-abortion Catholic politicians to go get a talking-to from the Pope.
Is she not excommunicated already? If one promotes abortion through voting on legislation to encourage, and provide abortion does one not suffer latae sententiae excommunication.
We should pray that the Holy Father has restored her to full communion and that she has seen the error of her ways and will act in accordance with the teachings of the magesterium, and the truths made known to us through Christ.
Worth the money to see her not get her own way with the Pope. I’ll save my ire for when she goes on a boondogle trip to study the impact of global warming on some creature or another in Asia.
I think Bishop Trautmann in Erie would have called the funding group of this trip “John and Mary Catholic.”
Nancy Pelosi is a classy lady, and one with modern, rational ideas. I am proud of her contribution to our nation, and glad to see that she believes in separation of church and state. Individuals have differences of opinion regarding abortion. If you don’t believe in it, don’t have one. If you do believe it is the best decision under difficult circumstances, good for you, too. The Pope, however, is very out of touch with the needs of today. He is an anachronism—-an absolute ruler in an anti-democratic organization.
@Sharon Miller.
LOL.
It’s not a matter of opinion. Chopping up babies in the womb is murder. If you don’t believe that, you’re not Catholic. You’re also an idiot.
The Holy Father is feeding his sheep and his lambs—that’s his job as the leader of a Vicar of Christ, the absolute ruler of a *divinely* founded institution, *The Holy Catholic Church* outside of which, there is no hope of salvation.
Pax tecum. Have fun over at the DailyKos. LOL