Barnes says Graves Flies High while Economy Suffers

With the cost of fuel skyrocketing and no relief in sight, the hardworking residents of Clay, Platte and Buchanan Counties are facing more job losses, this time at Kansas City International Airport. Once one of the nation's fastest growing, KCI is now facing a sharp decrease in traffic due to fuel costs. Nearly every airline that served Kansas City last October will offer fewer flights this year, resulting in cutbacks that could reach 15 percent.[1] This comes on the heels of Friday's report that U.S. companies have already shed jobs every month this year, bringing unemployment to a staggering 5.5 percent.[2]
"Congressman Sam Graves' constituents are being hit hard by soaring gas prices and a struggling economy. Hundreds of jobs could be lost at KCI. And yet, Graves is raking in cash from oil companies like Exxon and flying high on the taxpayers' dime," said campaign spokesman Steve Glorioso.
Graves was exposed by the Kansas City Star as the biggest spender among members of Congress in both Missouri and Kansas - with a budget exceeding $96,000 - on travel at the taxpayers' expense.[3] Then, Graves added insult to injury when he introduced legislation so that he could charge the price of fuel for his private plane to taxpayers.[4] The Graves Act, one of just a handful of bills he has passed as a Congressman, reversed a House ethics rule so taxpayers would foot the bill for his private airplane's fuel, more than doubling the per mile reimbursement rate members of Congress receive for driving.
Concluded Glorioso: "Now that taxpayers are paying for the fuel in his private plane, not to mention his health care plan and hefty paycheck, Graves doesn't have to worry about high gas prices or the recession. He can vote with Exxon and President Bush on all he wants. With priorities like these, it's clear that Congressman Sam Graves has been in Washington far too long."

[1] USA Today, 6/3/2008, http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2008-06-03-airlines-cuts-flights-fares_N.htm[2] Kansas City Star, 6/6/2008, http://www.kansascity.com/business/story/653239.html [3] Kansas City Star, 5/14/2007 (no link available, copy available upon request)[4] ibid