Political Quotes

“I thank the chairman for yielding. I would like to thank Chairman Shuster and the committee staff for all of their assistance in helping to get this matter to the floor for consideration. This amendment would convey three parcels of land known as the Earle May Recreational Area from the Army Corps of Engineers to the city of Bainbridge, Georgia. Mr. Chairman, the Earle May Recreational Area is vitally important to the city of Bainbridge, Georgia. The city has had a long-term lease from the Army Corps of Engineers, and it has invested nearly $150 million in improvements to this area for public use. These investments include a $25 million water control plant, several sporting complexes, and many other facilities that attract visitors. It is a destination for people from across the Southeast for its unique beauty and the recreational opportunities that are offered by the Flint River. Continued improvements, however, could be done much more efficiently if the land were conveyed from the Army Corps to the city of Bainbridge. Since the original lease was initiated in 1980, any improvements that the city attempted to make had to undergo the very long and arduous process that the Army Corps of Engineers utilizes, and, therefore, it increased substantially the cost to the city, as well as the bureaucratic delays that occurred.…”