Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of my amendment to H.R. 2087. This is a very simple amendment. It ensures that Federal taxpayers are compensated for the land that is moving out of public ownership and into private development. The Federal Land to Parks program provides Federal land to local governments with the agreement through the deed that the lands will stay in public use, primarily for recreation. Accomack County, Virginia, is actively marketing the development of the land in question to the aerospace industry for hangars and other types of commercial development. The land is valued at over $800,000. Meanwhile, the county is asking Congress to intervene so they can take the land they got for free and develop it without compensating the Federal Government. The underlying bill is the legislative equivalent of writing Accomack County a check for $815,000. It is only because this is cloaked through a deed amendment that it isn't called an ``earmark.'' My amendment simply requires the county to repay the Federal Government for the fair market value of the lands from the proceeds of the development. By ensuring the taxpayer is protected, we also send a signal to other local governments that are facing economic or development pressures that their parks, developed through the Federal Lands to Parks program, are not piggy banks to tap into when times get tough.…”