GOOD FOR THE GOOSE
One can but only shake one's head in disbelief.
At a time when senior members of Congress from both parties are going out of the way to berate executives public companies taking government aid for flying in corporate aircraft and holding business events at "resort" hotels, we have this sort of thing going on, as the NY Post reports:
Pelosi, who clashed with the military to get nonstop service when she flies home to California with police protection on government planes, revealed a particular fondness for Gulfstream's sleek G-5 - a plane glamorized in Hollywood films and rap videos.
"It is my understanding there are no G-5s available for the House during the Memorial Day recess. This is totally unacceptable . . . The speaker will want to know where the planes are," a Pelosi aide wrote in an angry e-mail to the military."
Kind of email one might expect from an entourage member of a Hollywood Diva, not the Speaker of the House, third in line for the White House.
Bear in mind the G-5, is a $50 million aircraft, and the creme de la creme of long-range corporate jets. As Wikipedia notes,
"The Gulfstream V is a business jet aircraft produced by Gulfstream Aerospace. It is also used by the US military under the designation C-37A.[1]
Designated C-37A in U.S. Air Force service, the Gulfstream V fulfills missions for government and Defense Department officials. The US Navy also operates one C-37A."
All this is occurring at a time when are military is stretched to the limits, engaged in two open-ended conflicts half way around the world.
Just to put this in context and as a reminder, here's a clip featuring Democratic Congressman Brad Sherman (also from California), at the House hearings for the auto executives, orchestrated for maximum political replay involved on the six o'clock news:
The politicians weren't happy until they made the same executives DRIVE from Michigan to Washington on subsequent trips.
Not to mention the populist outrage many in Congress, and the White House expressed at other companies like Citi confirming private jet orders. And the constant vilification of corporate America by politicians for holding business hotels at various hotels, goaded on by the media.
At some point these double standards do get too hard to ignore, especially when sacrifices are called for by all in these dire economic times.
Valid point!
Posted by: Suki Fuller | Wednesday, March 11, 2009 at 01:52 PM
Not to mention, all the bad press is putting the business aviation business in danger. Business aviation employs about 1.2M people in this country and has a ~$60B trade surplus... But since our all-knowing government is making it bad business to own a corporate jet, you can only guess where the layoffs will hit next. Just look to the news, "Gulfstream to lay off 1,200".
Posted by: Kevin | Thursday, March 12, 2009 at 06:49 AM
It's not really a double standard. Pelosi isn't asking for a government bailout.
What it does show is that she has continues to have a tin ear in not realizing the wider impact of what she is demanding.
Finally, what are congress critters doing flying around in corporate jets anyway? Wasn't it bad enough that they took flights on company jets with all the issues that entailed? Now they demand military supplied vehicles? WTF? Maybe Pelosi is just joining the line of wanting to "get her's" now that she is in power.
Roman emperor's used to have a slave whisper in their ear that "they were just mortal" when they returned in triumph. Pelosi needs an aide to do her that favor.
Posted by: Alex Tolley | Thursday, March 12, 2009 at 03:57 PM
Before casting any stones, you might want to read this ABC News story. http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=7057198&page=1
Posted by: Adam Wolf | Friday, March 13, 2009 at 01:40 PM