Pelosi Water-bill Bid Drawing Fire

[Vegas]

http://www.nypost.com/seven/05082007/news/nationalnews/her_an_fran_treat_nationalnews_geoff_earle.htm

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi used her clout to get lawmakers to back a San Francisco redevelopment project near her multimillion-dollar rental properties, disclosure documents reveal.

Pelosi got House members to authorize $25 million to improve the Embarcadero port area, clearing the way for cruise-ship-dock development and other improvements to aid the neighborhood's comeback.

The Democrat's district covers most of San Francisco.

"The appearance is obviously not good, and she needs to be forthcoming about how this impacts her financial interest," Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) told The Post.

He didn't offer proof that Pelosi would benefit.

Pelosi's office confirmed that she got the provision included in a water-resources bill, which passed the House April 19.

But House financial-disclosure documents reveal that Pelosi's husband, Paul, owns four commercial real-estate properties near the Embarcadero, which is home to many restaurants and hotels.

The properties earn combined rental income of more than $3 million.

One of the properties is 5,400 feet away from the redevelopment site.

"Does this financially benefit her? I don't know the answer to that question," said Hensarling, who chairs the Republican Study Committee, a group of conservative lawmakers.

Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill said "1.1 miles is a long way in San Francisco," adding, "This isn't stuff that she pushed, this is what the port came to her with."

"This is another baseless attack from a Republican minority seeking to distract from real issues of the day."

But John Hart, a spokesman for Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), a hard-charging conservative critic of wasteful spending, said, "On its face, it appears to be a conflict of interest."

Pelosi is the ninth richest member of the House, according to last year's disclosure reports, with stocks and real-estate holdings worth between $15 million and $55 million.

In addition to his sprawling real-estate empire, Paul Pelosi owns stock in Microsoft, AT&T and Disney, as well as several California vineyards.

Speaker Pelosi's role in pushing the project came to light because of new disclosure requirements passed by the Democratic House requiring members to declare when they get special "earmarks" tacked onto legislation.

Democrats put the rules in place after calling to reform Congress in the wake of a series of lobbying scandals and questions about other land deals.

Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) was criticized for getting more than $200 million earmarked for a highway near Illinois property he owned.

The $15 billion water-resources bill comes up for debate in the Senate this week.

Pelosi, who has become a lightning rod for GOP criticism, led the Democratic congressional takeover in 2006, charging there was a Republican "culture of corruption."

She was blasted by the White House for her recent diplomatic jaunt to Syria.

[LSU]

I don't know if it's right or wrong, but I do know that a representative is just that...a representative, and their job is to get stuff for their constituency. And being higher up in the congress means getting more power, and probably more appropriately, more stuff.

Again, right or wrong, that's what I would expect a representative to do for the people that voted for them.

And I would say the same if it were a righty Speaker of the House, too, including Hastert's highway money.

All this is under the assumption that the money actually does benefit the people themselves just as much as potentially the representative...so that's where it could get hairy.

[Vegas]

I don't know if it's right or wrong, but I do know that a representative is just that...a representative, and their job is to get stuff for their constituency. And being higher up in the congress means getting more power, and probably more appropriately, more stuff.

Again, right or wrong, that's what I would expect a representative to do for the people that voted for them.

And I would say the same if it were a righty Speaker of the House, too, including Hastert's highway money.

All this is under the assumption that the money actually does benefit the people themselves just as much as potentially the representative...so that's where it could get hairy.

But in this case, it was Pelosi's husband that had the most benefit.

[ryr8828]

I don't know if it's right or wrong, but I do know that a representative is just that...a representative, and their job is to get stuff for their constituency. And being higher up in the congress means getting more power, and probably more appropriately, more stuff.

Again, right or wrong, that's what I would expect a representative to do for the people that voted for them.

And I would say the same if it were a righty Speaker of the House, too, including Hastert's highway money.

All this is under the assumption that the money actually does benefit the people themselves just as much as potentially the representative...so that's where it could get hairy.

Most of her constituents are concerned with cruise ships.

[LSU]

Most of her constituents are concerned with cruise ships.




For some reason, I'm thinking of that stupid documentary that shows up on HBO Family where Rosie goes on a cruise with a bunch of families...of course the trick is that there's either 2 daddies or 2 mommies in these families...

[Reagan Smash]

For some reason, I'm thinking of that stupid documentary that shows up on HBO Family where Rosie goes on a cruise with a bunch of families...of course the trick is that there's either 2 daddies or 2 mommies in these families...


Playing the cruise ship....Rosie!

[Vegas]

http://www.investors.com/editorial/editorialcontent.asp?secid=1501&status=article&id=263516930266197

When Dennis Hastert was accused of profiting from congressional earmarks last year, media went into a front-page frenzy over "corruption." With Nancy Pelosi now in the same spot, it's a back-page story.

In case you haven't heard, and maybe you haven't, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi slipped in a $25 million provision for San Francisco's waterfront on a $15 billion federal water bill at the last minute. It's pork barrel spending, yes, but more than that.

Republicans are crying foul because the federal cash for port improvements and the bill's provision for Pier 35 cruise ship dockage all benefit a toney area of San Francisco — one where Pelosi's husband just happens to own real estate about a mile away.

His properties are close enough to benefit from the inflow of federal cash to the area — and from the added business the new development will bring. At the very least, the question should be raised because he definitely has friends in high places.

To be fair, Pelosi's earmark is going to a touristy area near Coit Tower, where plenty of San Francisco's movers and shakers could potentially benefit from the trough's offerings, too. Given the small size of San Francisco, maybe it's impossible to avoid conflicts.

But that's just it. When the last House Speaker, Dennis Hastert, made a $2 million profit from selling land almost six miles from a highway project he secured a $200 million earmark for in 2005, the outcry was loud about how he might have served himself.

The media ran front-page stories on it for days and television commentators harrumphed about public corruption — the GOP kind.

Now that Democrat Pelosi has secured an earmark for some land a mere 5,400 feet from her husband's property, there are no front-page stories. But there should be, because this isn't the first time she's been noticeably helpful to her own interests.

A few months ago, Pelosi wrote a provision into a minimum wage law that exempted American Samoa from its costs to businesses. The exemption benefited Starkist, whose Del Monte headquarters is in Pelosi's district. Like this pork issue, that story dropped from the news like a dead fish.

As far as we can tell, only the Associated Press and New York Post have reported the story, and local papers are asleep. Much of the media has tucked the lonely AP story onto their back pages for appearances' sake. But in practical terms, this story will drop from the pier fast and sink without notice.

Maybe Pelosi did something wrong and maybe she didn't. Were phone calls made from Union Street lobbyists, or were deals cut at The Palm? Is there something about the law that makes it impossible to follow? We don't know because the media aren't on it.

The one thing we do know is that the media shows one standard of coverage for charges made against Republicans and another standard for Democrats.

With Pelosi on the hot seat this time, this news probably will get deep-sixed. It shouldn't.

[abreu]

For the Del Monte issue, I know for a fact that minimum wage laws never apply to American Samoa. The best part was that Pelosi gave serious thought to imposing the law upon them, which would completely cripple their economy and nation. Luckily, one of her aides talked sense into her.

On a somewhat related note, I want to meet Pelosi's husband more than I want to meet her. I have no idea how he puts up with her.

[Vegas]

For the Del Monte issue, I know for a fact that minimum wage laws never apply to American Samoa. The best part was that Pelosi gave serious thought to imposing the law upon them, which would completely cripple their economy and nation. Luckily, one of her aides talked sense into her.

On a somewhat related note, I want to meet Pelosi's husband more than I want to meet her. I have no idea how he puts up with her.

She throws enough pork his way is my guess.

[Ed Who?]

But in this case, it was Pelosi's husband that had the most benefit.

Pelosi, obviously cleaning up the crooked in Congress. Or, maybe not. At least it was a good talking point.

[LSU]

Pelosi, obviously cleaning up the crooked in Congress. Or, maybe not. At least it was a good talking point.


I think anyone that believed the Dems would move in and suddenly DC would become ethical needs to have their head examined.

[Vegas]

I think anyone that believed the Dems would move in and suddenly DC would become ethical needs to have their head examined.

That was one of the things they campaigned on.

[LSU]

That was one of the things they campaigned on.



In 2000, Bush ran on restoring integrity into the white house.



6 of one, a dozen and a half of the other. Minus a dozen.

[Ed Who?]

That was one of the things they campaigned on.

Don't blame them, blame the idiots who allowed that platform item to hold water.