Our tax money at work (no this isn't a joke)

[twister17e]

Commissioners discuss when to take breath during Pledge of Allegiance

[SubGod22]

This Could Only Happen in Washington

[SubGod22]

Hoyer-linked firm wins $18M Recovery.gov contract

ABC reports this morning that the Maryland firm Smartronix has won what seems like an enormous $18 million contract to re-design the Recovery.gov website. Approximately $9.5 million would be spent by January in order to make "Recovery 2.0" out of the site that is at least supposed track the spending of federal stimulus funds in detail.

[SubGod22]

House Buys $200M Jets for Lawmaker Travel

The House has approved nearly $200 million for the Air Force to buy three elite jets for transporting members of Congress and other top government officials.

The Air Force had requested one Gulfstream 550 jet, which cost about $65 million. But the House Appropriations Committee added another $132 million to the 2010 Defense appropriations bill for two more jets, and "specified that they be assigned to the D.C.-area units that carry Members of Congress, military brass and top government officials," Roll Call reported.

It was just last year that lawmakers sharply criticized the CEOs of the Big Three automakers for traveling to Washington by private jet for a hearing about a bailout of their companies.

What's 200M more when the money isn't yours?