April 17, 2007
Happy tax day, when we all render unto Caesar -- some more than others -- so Caesar can waste more of our money.
This is what Congress used to call the Easter break before political correctness got rid of the word “Easter.” Democrats and Republicans are engaging in one of the few bipartisan practices left in Washington: junketeering.
At your and my expense, some members of congress are emulating college students on spring break. Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi took his wife, nine Democrats and two Republicans – Dan Lungren of California and Mike Rogers of Alabama – on a whirlwind tour of the Caribbean last week. After stops in Honduras and Mexico, they visited the U.S. Virgin Islands where the delegation stayed at the five-star Caneel Bay Resort.
In a separate trip to the Caribbean last week, Rep. Eliot Engel of New York took his wife and four other democrats to Grenada and Trinidad. All told, reports the Washington examiner, the military flew at least 13 members and their delegations to various destinations during the recess at a rate of $10,000 or more per flying hour. Yours and my tax dollars at work.
Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C.
