“There is a delicious irony in seeing private luxury jets flying into Washington, D.C., and people coming off of them with tin cups in their hand, saying that they’re going to be trimming down and streamlining their businesses,” Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-New York, told the chief executive officers of Ford, Chrysler and General Motors at a hearing of the House Financial Services Committee.
“It’s almost like seeing a guy show up at the soup kitchen in high hat and tuxedo. It kind of makes you a little bit suspicious.”
He added, “couldn’t you all have downgraded to first class or jet-pooled or something to get here? It would have at least sent a message that you do get it.”
— “Big Three auto CEOs flew private jets to ask for taxpayer money,” CNN, November 19, 2008.
- “President Barack Obama’s broadside against giving corporate jet owners a tax break scored him some populist points while potentially saving taxpayers $3 billion over the next decade.”
— “Obama’s Private-Jet Offensive,” the Daily Beast, June 30th, 2011.
- “Obama aide promises $1B in corporate-jet subsidies.”
— Timothy P. Carney, the Washington Examiner, today.
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