Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, last week I informed the House of two very disturbing examples of waste in the AmeriCorps Program. The first was the $13 million spent on training and technical assistance contracts with such organizations as the AFL-CIO and the new Multicultural Institute. Both of those were funded for $400,000 each. The other was the opening of the new AmeriCorps Leadership Training Center overlooking the San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. This amendment seeks to strike the line-item appropriation which funds what I consider wasteful spending and put the money in the pockets of local and national charities around the country. This amendment moves $30 million back into the direction and the priorities for this program, a program that I voted for 3 years ago. This amendment moves money away from Washington bureaucracy, Washington bureaucrats, and moves it directly back to local charities, individuals, and young people in our communities. Let us talk about these two examples. The Presidio. What is the Presidio Leadership Center? It is nothing more than magical bureaucrats telling local charities, charities like Big Brothers, Big Sisters, you need the Federal Government in order to find a shared purpose or to develop new leaders. This is a myth. Private charities have operated for years without training provided by the magical bureaucrats.”