McDermott backs $250,000 federal earmark for Seattle's elite Rainier Club

McDermott backs $250,000 federal earmark for Seattle's elite Rainier Club

seattletimes.nwsource.com

Among more than 100 local projects for which U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott recently sought funding earmarks in the coming federal budget are a new cancer-research program, municipal road projects and a law-enforcement initiative to combat gang violence.

Also included on the Seattle Democrat's 2010 appropriations wish list is a relatively modest — but curious — appeal:

A $250,000 request to fund a "window repair and limestone sill replacement" at The Rainier Club — one of Seattle's premier private clubs, whose members include some of the city's most well-heeled and politically connec

(visit the link for the full news article)

So U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott is trying to use taxpayers money to fix up a club he and his rich buddies are members of. It's only $250,000, which compared to how much our government spends, is pocket change to these guys. I wonder how many instances like this has happened and no one has found out or reported about. With the economy in the condition it's in, this doesn't set well with us tax payers. When are these guys going to realize that we have the power to fire them! Kudo's to The Seattle Times for reporting on this.

Time to put Jim McDermott on our list of politicians to vote out of office!

seattletimes.nwsource.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

To me this is another example of the elite who fund the political powers getting there reward for doing so. Or another way to put it, those who are in power serve the elite, not the average joe who they take all the money from. Thanks for posting.

I bet the club itself, or many members of said club, funded this dude when he was running for office. Now he is getting them paid back for helping to get him elected.

You scratch my back, I scratch yours...... Everyone else can go to hell for all we care!

I am disgusted, but this is the way politics work. People only get elected, when someone rich wants their back scratched.

Wouldn't you think an "elite club" would have a maintenance fund to take care of repairs and renovations? Tax payer money for this type of deal sucks. It's the same thing as taxpayer funded Marinas where only rich people can berth their yachts.

I say we should raid their club, since we are helping to fix it it.

Why in the world should an "elite" club keep funds for repairing their own infrastructure?? Just, why, when they have "elite" people that can make someone else cover the burden?

The tax payers are a burden anyway, at least in this case they are doing something useful.

*sarcasm off*

reply to post by whaaa


when money is being given away, why not get some? i'm sure they made an argument about how it provides jobs for repair people or some such. the use of taypayer funds by the elite has become outrageous IMHO.

From everything I have read here thus far, the main thing that I agree with is the rich #@Bs who belong to this club should be able to pay for what ever up grades they want done with out going begging to uncle sam for tax payer money whom
the average person they are getting the money from could never get into the club, unless they were the ones doing there work.

edit for typo

[edit on 23-6-2009 by RedGolem]

The article tries to justify this by stating the building is historic. What the hell difference does that make? Because a building is historic, the government should put money into it to keep it standing????

Like Red said, the people that belong to this club are Seattle's elite. There is a lot of rich people in Seattle that are members in this club and I am sure just one of those members could shell out the $500,000 needed to fix this building. And yes, $250,000 is not a lot of money when it comes to government spending, but it's our money, and I am getting tired of it being wasted!

Originally posted by Mudman21
And yes, $250,000 is not a lot of money when it comes to government spending, but it's our money, and I am getting tired of it being wasted!

boy am i getting tired of hearing this particular argument. it's just a small amount/only a small percentage/always some waste/don't lose sight of all the good being done/just a small amount

all those small amounts add up to a big part of the total. i'm fed up with the excuse that it's a small amount so we shouldn't fuss. BORROWED money spent on silly things is a crime against the taxpayers of this country.

reply to post by earlywatcher


I think a better way to put it is the two hundred and fifty thousand represents the taxes paid by twenty or so families for the previous year. So go and tell those twenty families that the two hundred and fifty thousand is just not that much money and see what kind of reaction you get.