Posted on 01/17/2012 3:03:58 PM PST by Notwithstanding
Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who’s made his crusade to slash federal spending the cornerstone of his GOP presidential run, has been habitually flying first class at taxpayer expense.
Paul has jetted first class on at least 31 round-trip flights and 12 one-way flights since May 2009 to travel between Washington and his Texas district, according to an Associated Press review of congressional office expenses.
Another four round-trip tickets and two one-way tickets were eligible for upgrades to first class. The records did not reveal if the upgrade was made.
Paul’s first-class flights on Continental Airlines cost taxpayers nearly $52,000 since 2009 — or about $27,000 more than flying coach.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
I’m not going to get hot and bothered on that one. Security for someone like Paul is probably explainable as a reason for being in first class.
I don’t know where his district is, but I do know Andrews has an enormous number of flights going to other military installations around the country on a daily basis.
If they’re going anyway, it doesn’t cost anything extra to add one more troop on standby, so that should hold for a congresscritter, too.
I am not a Paul supporter, but he is a high-profile, recognizable politician. Security is a legit concern with him I’d think. He generates a lot of emotion.
First Class restraints cost a lot more.
Doesn’t Bloomberg ride the subway?
ML/NJ
Agree. This is a silly non-issue.
Wouldn’t surprise me, but I’m not from NY.
you know what?
I think they should be more careful with our money and stretch those taxpayer dollars until they squawk. Ron Paul or any other congressman is not more valuable than coach
I agree. Picking on Paul on a non-issue might divert attention when a real issue comes up.
The best solution is the one Perry supports - keep them out of Washington most of the time and they won’t need those tickets.
and playing the race card on idiot Paul falls flat with me
I don't disagree with his LA Riots comment and I doubt any candidate can make sure that no racists..what few there are.. ever goes to his event
What amuses me on Paul is that underneath he is a blame America type with an eye on his wallet.
meanwhile Obama has a party and JayZee...a clown likely adored by a few younger freepers gets onstage and spouts serious anti white venom and nobody has the balls to call him or Pres Bro on it
but folks hand wring over frank talk from Paul on black folks acting up or if bad men came to see him speak
and that he is an anti Semite for having a different point of view on Israel and Palies
you can count me out...Paul is wrong on everything foreign policy wise but this crap sells about as well with me as yesterday's holiday did
I was going to say it looks like he flew cattle car at least some of the time. But yet if it was official business, he might be a nut but he’s the USA’s nut so he gets a security detail.
Hey, he is just practicing pissing money away like Obama does.
You don’t “wax”? Not even Johnson Wax, a family owned company?
Anyhow, it’s hard for the average onlooker to separate the “official” Ron Paul from the chopped nuts he is rolled in. Would there be a tiff in the White House if he got elected and the CIA came to him and said honest Injun, we did not engineer 9/11 or any domestic political shift? There’d sure be a tiff with the nuts.
Chump change! A year’s worth of Congressional business and it’s less than one Obama/Moochelle vacation.
Last year, we took notice when Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) returned $100,000 of his Congressional office budget to the United States Treasury.
Just another of thousands of reasons I agree with Rick Perry’s (and our founders) contention that we should have a part-time congress. That’s what our founders intended, that each representative serve his or her term and go back home. I’m so sick of federal career politicians and Paul is certainly one of them.
Everyone knows that the hot air should be at the front pf the plane.
i agree,non- minor issue.
how does his record compare to other congress members ?
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