Political Quotes

“I am proud to be a cosponsor of S. 455, a bill which will help local governments throughout my State provide services where currently unfunded Federal obligations require them to absorb the growing cost of providing these services on their own. Mr. President, this legislation will provide--at minimum--a degree of relief to communities across my State which are missing out on property tax dollars. By increasing PILT payments we are living up to a commitment made to these counties so that they can continue to provide important services to visitors on Federal lands without bankrupting our local counties. You need only glance at a map of my State to figure out that large tracts of land are owned by the Federal Government, thereby leaving many counties in my State dependent upon PILT payments to help meet increased service demands. Let me give you a few examples of the importance of this legislation to my State of Washington. On one end of the spectrum is Okanogan County, which includes 1.56 million acres of federally owned land, and in nearby Chelan County the Federal Government owns 1.42 million acres of land. And on the other end of the spectrum is Adams County, where the Federal Government owns one, solitary acre. Mr. President, whether it's a million acres or one acre, the Federal Government must fulfill its obligation to these counties.”