politics as usual (sigh)

[akarunway 1]

Fucking thieves>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/21/AR2006062102210.html?referrer=email&referrer=email&referrer=email

I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.

[Gravitymaster 0]

If this is true, I hope they put all the corrupt bastards in jail.

[rushmc 23]

Quote

Fucking thieves>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/21/AR2006062102210.html?referrer=email&referrer=email&referrer=email

Looks stinky at this point

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[warpedskydiver 0]

Lawmakers' Profits Are Scrutinized
Hastert and Others Defend Land Gains

By Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, June 22, 2006; Page A01

House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) made a $2 million profit last year on the sale of land 5 1/2 miles from a highway project that he helped to finance with targeted federal funds.

A Republican House member from California, meanwhile, received nearly double what he paid for a four-acre parcel near an Air Force base after securing $8 million for a planned freeway interchange 16 miles away. And another California GOP congressman obtained funding in last year's highway bill for street improvements near a planned residential and commercial development that he co-owns.


Chronology of the
Hastert Land Deal
2002: House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) purchases 195 acres for his home near Plano, Ill., for $2.125 million, or $10,865 per acre.

Feb. 9, 2004: Little Rock Trust #225 is established, with trustee identified as Dallas C. Ingemunson, treasurer of Hastert's federal campaign committee and chairman of the Kendall County Republican Party.

Feb. 17, 2004: Hastert purchases a quarter-share of a 69-acre parcel in Plano, Ill., for $340,000 through Little Rock Trust #225.

May 2, 2005: Hastert transfers an additional 69 acres of land to Little Rock Trust #225 from the 195 acres purchased in 2002. The parcel was worth $748,598 when purchased.

Aug. 10, 2005: President Bush signs into law a $286 billion transportation bill that includes $207 million for a "Prairie Parkway" to connect Interstate 80 and Interstate 88 in Kendall County, Ill.

Dec. 7, 2005: Little Rock Trust #225 sells Hastert's parcels totaling 138 acres to RALC-Plano LLC, a subsidiary of the Robert Arthur Land Co., for $4.989 million, or $36,034 per acre. Hastert nets a $2.018 million profit. Robert Arthur Land Co. intends to build a 1,635-home residential and commercial development, 5.5 miles from the proposed Prairie Parkway.

SOURCES: Sunlight Foundation, White House

Politics Trivia
How many U.S. first ladies have also been mothers of a president?

2
1
0
3





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In all three cases, Hastert and Reps. Ken Calvert and Gary Miller say that they were securing funds their home districts wanted badly, and that in no way did the earmarks have any impact on the land values of their investments. But for watchdog groups, the cases have opened a fresh avenue for investigation and a new wrinkle in the ongoing controversy over earmarks -- home-district projects funded through narrowly written legislative language.

For more than a year, the congressional corruption scandal triggered by former lobbyist Jack Abramoff has focused attention on earmarks secured by lawmakers on lobbyists' and government contractors' behalf. Now watchdog groups are combing through lawmakers' land holdings and legislative activities, searching for earmarks that may have boosted the value of those investments.

"The sound bites from politicians have always been that they're doing what's best for their districts, but we're starting to see a pattern that looks like they might be doing what's best for their pocketbooks," said Keith Ashdown, vice president of the group Taxpayers for Common Sense.

The allegation that Hastert used a home-district "earmark" for his personal enrichment is now at the center of a tussle between the most powerful man in Congress and a new watchdog organization that uncovered the land deal this month. Hastert has strongly denied any wrongdoing and has demanded a retraction from the Sunlight Foundation, a new group that first made the allegation in a detailed report on its Web site last week.

At issue is a series of events that left Hastert $2 million richer and his district well on its way to securing a highway that has been the subject of a dispute between pro-growth and slow-growth forces for years. The controversy has been extensively reported by the Illinois news media.

In 2002, Hastert was driving to a parade in Sycamore, Ill., when he saw a post-and-beam house he fell in love with, according to Dallas C. Ingemunson, a longtime friend and ally of Hastert's who made the land deals for the speaker. Hastert struck a deal with the owner on the spot, purchasing the house near Plano, Ill., and 195 acres for $2.1 million.

In February 2004, Ingemunson, treasurer of Hastert's campaign committee and chairman of the Kendall County Republican Party, established Little Rock Trust #225. A week later, through the trust, Hastert and his business partners purchased a 69-acre parcel for $340,000, providing road access to part of Hastert's farm that had been landlocked. Hastert owned a quarter of that parcel.

In May 2005, Hastert transferred the 69 acres of previously hemmed-in land from his farm to the land trust. That summer, Hastert personally intervened during House and Senate negotiations over a huge transportation and infrastructure bill to secure two separate earmarks, $152 million to help build the Prairie Parkway through Kendall County and $55 million for an interchange 5 1/2 miles from his property. President Bush signed the bill into law on Aug. 10.

Then, on Dec. 7, Little Rock Trust #225 sold the Hastert parcels to a subsidiary of the Robert Arthur Land Co. for nearly $5 million. The deal netted Hastert a $2 million profit.

Arthur C. Zwemke, a Robert Arthur partner whose company plans to build a 1,635-home residential and commercial development on the site, scoffed at assertions that the Prairie Parkway had boosted the value of Hastert's land. The price for the land had been locked up in 2004 by land speculator Ron March, who then ceded the project to Robert Arthur Land, he said. The price, he added, could not have risen with the news of the Prairie Parkway funding. Besides, the parkway is still years from construction, he noted, and land prices are soaring as Chicago's sprawl moves ever westward.

Quote

Ok do the math:

he had $85000 paid in as his quarter of the share in the original parcel.


then he puts in another $748,598 in a 69 acre parcel to that property.


748,598(plus appreciation)+85,000=$835,000
so they sell the property for $4.98million


he gets 2 million in profit and they are crying foul?

I don't know what planet anyone is from, but I can tell you that land is rapidly increasing in value in that area, and the entire chicagoland and surrounding areas is still in a housing boom.

Has anyone not noticed the HUGE houses being built 75 miles from chicago in all directions?

• Quote

[billvon 3,120]

>I don't know what planet anyone is from . . . .

Yeah, some interesting stuff in the post above:

>How many U.S. first ladies have also been mothers of a president?

I don't know, but if they were democrats I bet they were terrible mothers! Probably on welfare and whatnot.

>Who's Blogging?

I don't know! Who's on second?

>Tom's Irrelevant Musings

Now come on. Your posts aren't _that_ irrelevant. (And I didn't know you called yourself Tom!)

>Truthdig - Cartoons - Luckovich - Torture Legalese

We need that "torture legalese" guy here. He'd probably post some really controversial stuff.

But back on planet earth:

>he gets 2 million in profit and they are crying foul?

Yep. If you use your influence as a politician to steer federal funds towards an area, hoping it will become more valuable so you can make millions, that's an abuse of power.

Think about it this way - imagine it's a democrat doing that. Now try to figure out where your outrage came from.

[akarunway 1]

Whatever. Federal money was funneled to the area right close to his house. It stinks. Something's rotten in Denmark..umm I mean Washington

I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.

[justinb138 0]

Can't we just put 'em all in jail and get a fresh start with this government thing?

[akarunway 1]

Quote

Can't we just put 'em all in jail and get a fresh start with this government thing?

I wish. I think I'd honestly give my left nut. 4 kids. I don't need it anymore anyway

I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.

[mnealtx 0]

I'm still praying for the day that Congress as a whole grows a pair and passes legislation that demands narrowly written bills...

... .NO MORE PORK!!!

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706