Defense Spending

The Senate refused to end a program to build ten C-17 cargo planes that the Pentagon did not want. The cost is $ 2.5 billion in the 2010 defense budget. The proposal was to shift that spending to "accounts that more directly support troops and their families". Only 34 senators voted to shift the spending while 64 voted to retain it. The plane is built by Boeing mostly in California and with suppliers in 40 states. Let me re-state this decision; the Senate will spend billions of dollars on planes the military does not want. For those of you who think the military budget is about national defense, think again. At the best this is a very expensive jobs program. At the worst it is a significant give away of public funds to a major corporation and political donor. How much of this $ 2.5 billion goes to high paid executives of Boeing?

(Source: The Record on 10/4/09 and Thomas Voting Reports from 10/5/09)