Limousine Liberals

The true definition of a limousine liberal comes down to this. The photo is of the Speaker of the House's jet. During the W. Bush Administration the speaker of the House was given personal use of a jet for "official" business on the grounds that as third in line for the presidency we would not want any nasty terrorists trying to get to them. The last speaker used something akin to a Gulfstream to get to Indiana. When Pelosi became Speaker she argued that she needed a larger jet to get to California because it was a long way away.

There is an alternative explanation of the jet which is much more credible. Compensation for public officials is limited. Thus, they figure out ways to increase their perks. The number of limos in Washington is way in excess of what any logical need would be. Indeed, the President needs to be afforded security and convenience of having his own transportation. By the extension of logic, so should the Vice President. But the way government logic extends that trail ends when the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Aircraft and Sewage is offered a limo too. After all one can never be too careful about the critical nature of that job.

When I worked in the Congress members drove themselves to work. NY Senator Jacob Javits' banged up Mustang was legendary. After I left DC I flew with many members of congress coming home via commercial airlines. They got the opportunity to sit with their fellow citizens and occasionally hear their complaints and compliments.

The perks principle quickly extends to the absurd. The last mayor of Sacramento demanded and got a police driver to scoot her around town because of "security." At the time I thought the better alternative would be to give her a bus pass and a concealed weapons permit. The same principle should apply to the Speaker's jet. Let her learn the joys of commercial transportation. If the Speaker needs security, put an air marshal on the plane. The reductions in limos and jets will not save the government a lot of money (Pelosi argued at one point that it only costs about $60,000 per trip - when you work for a group that spends billions on earmarks 100 times the normal airfare does not seem like a lot.) But it will change the climate in DC, and might even reduce some of those greenhouse gasses.