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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Down To Earth

Friday Quote

"The worst thing that happened there is they ran out of caviar."  - DTE enemy #1 Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe.

While we usually enjoy bashing Senator Inhofe and everything that comes out of his mouth, this particular quote comes from a very fascinating report from CBS about the all-expense paid trips that SEVERAL members of Congress got to Denmark for the Copenhagen Climate Summit.  And you know what, Inhofe isn't making us question his remarks here.

According to CBS, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Chairman of the Tax Committee Charles Rangel went to Copenhagen, along with 18 of their colleagues: Waxman, Miller, Markey, Gordon, Levin, Blumenauer, DeGette, Inslee, Ryan, Butterfield, Cleaver, Giffords, and Republicans: Barton, Upton, Moore Capito, Sullivan, Blackburn and Sensenbrenner.  And that's just the beginning.

The CBS report continues: "Our investigation found that the congressional delegation was so large, it needed three military jets: two 737's and a Gulfstream Five -- up to 64 passengers -- traveling in luxurious comfort.
Along with those who flew commercial, we counted at least 101 Congress-related attendees. All for a summit that failed to deliver a global climate deal.
As a perk, some took spouses, since they could snag an open seat on a military jet or share a room at no extra cost to taxpayers. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) was there with her husband. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) was also there with her husband. Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) took his wife, as did Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI). Congressman Barton -- a climate change skeptic -- even brought along his daughter."

CBS didn't get a word from Speaker Pelosi, but did get Inhofe to comment, "They're going because it's the biggest party of the year," Sen. Inhofe said. "The worst thing that happened there is they ran out of caviar."

CBS concludes with some figures and estimates as to what the trip cost - YOU - the taxpayer.  Official required fillings haven't been made about the trip yet, but when they are, we'll be sure to follow up.  Here's what CBS estimates.

  - Three military jets at $9,900 per hour - $168,000 just in flight time.

 - Dozens flew commercial at up to $2,000 each.

 - 321 hotel nights booked - the bulk at Copenhagen's five-star Marriott.

 - Meals add tens of thousands more.

That caviar better have been locally harvested! 



Down To Earth

The DTE blog is committed to reporting and sharing environmental news and sustainability information from across the Inland Northwest.