Of course, we’re talking about Pennsylvania Democrat John Murtha, who has made earmarking into something an art form. Mr. Murtha, a longtime ally of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, makes no bones about his appetite for pork and his cozy relationship with those who seek to do business in his district.
In the past, Congressman Murtha’s ethical improprieties have earned him notoriety while his calls to slow bleed our troops in harm’s way have reaped him derision. Now, with Democrats failing to make good on their promises of major reform, major media outlets are connecting the dots about the way he treats the federal treasury like a pork store.What the American people have seen and heard about earmarks, they don’t like. House Republicans have been circulating a petition to make all earmarks subject to a debate and vote in the House. Democrats prefer to keep earmarks veiled in secrecy. To date, zero Democrats have signed the petition, and to force a vote we need 218. We need fiscally responsible Democrats to join us in this effort. So far, none have.
It was a year ago that then-Speaker-in-waiting Pelosi pledged that Democrats would lead “the most honest, the most open, and the most ethical Congress in history.” What a difference a year makes.
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The Wall Street Journal:
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Murtha Inc.: How Lawmaker Rebuilt Hometown on Earmarks “Johnstown's good fortune has come at the expense of taxpayers everywhere else. Defense contractors have found that if they open an office here and hire the right lobbyist, they can get lucrative, no-bid contracts. Over the past decade, Concurrent Technologies Corp., a defense-research firm that employs 800 here, got hundreds of millions of dollars thanks to Rep. Murtha despite poor reviews by Pentagon auditors. The National Drug Intelligence Center, with 300 workers, got $509 million, though the White House has tried for years to shut it down as wasteful and unnecessary. Another beneficiary: MTS Technologies, run by a man who got his start some 40 years ago shining shoes at Mr. Murtha's Johnstown Minute Car Wash.
“A review by The Wall Street Journal of dozens of such contracts funded by Mr. Murtha's committee shows that many weren't sought by the military or federal agencies they were intended to benefit. Some were inefficient or mismanaged, according to interviews, public records and previously unpublished Pentagon audits. One Murtha-backed firm, ProLogic Inc., is under federal investigation for allegedly diverting public funds to develop commercial software, people close to the case say. The company denies wrongdoing and is in line to get millions of dollars more in the pending defense bill.”
The Washington Post:
Friday, November 2, 2007
A Contractor, Charity And Magnet for Federal Earmarks “Concurrent Technologies began two decades ago doing metalworking research in Pennsylvania's struggling rust belt. In the years since, the Johnstown, Pa., company has become a federal contracting chameleon.
“Behind the rise of Concurrent is Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee's defense subcommittee, who helped arrange funding to launch the organization in 1988. Murtha has since arranged millions of dollars more in directed congressional appropriations called earmarks. Now Concurrent has nearly $250 million in annual revenue and 1,500 employees.
Concurrent is a prime example of how to marry entrepreneurial savvy, influence on Capitol Hill and arcane procurement rules to create budget magnets in congressional districts. Unlike many other big contractors, Concurrent pays no income tax on most of its revenue. Unlike nonprofit, federally funded research-and-development corporations, it is not chartered by the federal government.”
The New York Times:
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Even Cut 50 Percent, Earmarks Clog Military Bill “Mr. Murtha has drawn much attention this year, first as he bitterly opposed the legislation requiring disclosure of earmarks, then continued his habit of submitting dozens of requests, most benefiting his hometown of Johnstown, Pa. (He asked for 47 earmarks.) Two Republicans said he threatened to block them from getting any earmarks when they questioned one of his requests. ‘You’re not going to get any, now or forever,’ he warned Representative Mike Rogers, a Michigan Republican who eventually received a written apology from the Pennsylvania congressman.
“About $111 million of Mr. Murtha’s earmarks are for businesses and nonprofits closely aligned with him. … Firms benefiting from Mr. Murtha’s help have given at least $437,000 to his campaign since 2005, with about $110,000 streaming in just before this year’s March 16 request deadline.”
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