C.W. Bill Young yanks defense earmark

WASHINGTON - With questions swirling a day after the federal raid of Conax Florida Corp., U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young on Thursday withdrew support for a $4 million funding request for the St. Petersburg-based defense contractor.

The move puts some distance between Conax and Young, who has secured $28.5 million in federal “earmarks” for the company since 2005.

Young’s spokesman said he did not pursue the money during a key budget hearing because of the probe -- the scope and nature of which remain unclear. “They decided they would see what develops with what (investigators) are looking at,” Harry Glenn said.

The $4 million “earmark” request Young, R-Indian Shores, had supported was for a "belt tensioning" restraint system for Air Force aircraft platforms. 

Young is the ranking Republican on the House Defense Appropriations Committee, which met in private Thursday morning to work out details for the 2010 budget. His clout would have almost certainly ensured inclusion of the request, which he supported, had it not been for the investigation.

Young told the St. Petersburg Times on Wednesday that he was not sure what authorities were looking for but that the company had performed well in the past.

"I was a little surprised because we've never had any suggestion that Conax was not performing properly and not doing what they were contracted to do," Young said.

Comments

[Read Barry and the Boys]

"The move puts some distance between Conax and Young, who has secured $28.5 million in federal “earmarks” for the company since 2005."

To say "some distance" is to make a less than truthful statement. I smell a rat.

That's a lot of dough for one company and there are many defense companies around here.

More like Young's BEEN in it up to his ears!!!!!

So who got caught in a "black op"???

Look at what happened at another company in Florida, YANG that had technology defense contracts.

http://www.insider-magazine.com/unrestricted_warfare.htm

[nice eh?]

Just look at what is buried under this blog, just scroll down on the main page

Wow!!! Look at this!

C.W. Bill Young rakes in defense cash
Defense contractors that U.S. Rep. Bill Young is seeking earmarks for this year gave him more than $123,000 in past two years, according to a new study from Taxpayers for Common Sense that comes as 2010 defense spending is being finalized.

The long-serving Pinellas County Republican took in the third most money among members of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, behind Rep. Jim Moran, D-VA, ($201,100) and Rep. Jack Murtha, D-PA, ($199,050).

"It's really hard to prove a quid pro quo but these companies aren't dumb. They are making contributions to lawmakers who are in a good position to deliver millions of taxpayer dollars," said Steve Ellis of Taxpayers for Common Sense.

[John]

It is not the complete truth when Young says there was no indication of performance problems. Conax makes proprietary, high-margin products. It is extremely difficult to negotiate a fair price when we need something only one supplier can produce. As a result, the company realizes a good return on their contribution investment. Failure to be aware of that fact is no excuse.

[True Blue]

Porker Bill gets caught with his hand in the cookie jar AGAIN. The taxpayers give the company $4 million so they can overcharge the Defense Dept.and Bill can get a big campaign contribution. What's wrong with this picture???

[TBD]

Jim Donelon (you little dingleberry on the a*s of St Petersburg). To claim that Mr. Young would have ever had his "hand caught in the cookie jar" lets everyone here know that you are only out for cheap shots. Mr. Young has done more for this country and this county than you could do in ten lifetimes. It is ignorance like yours that leads to bad leadership in this country....

[No name calling,,,,you little dingleberry]

What the heck?
Don 't gimme that crap,just shut up!
Republicans are the big ditto's and if you want to condemn nasty talk dirty names and every imaginable sexist,racist,
crude,rude and unAmerican comments condemn the Republican leaders,
Limbaugh,savage,boortz,hannity,well all the fox boys and girls.
Welcome to the Palin party,act big mean rough tough then cry when someone says something back! Wha,wha,wha,whaaaaaaaaaaa.
Stop picking on me!!!
Condemn your leaders then maybe people will watch what they say to and about Republicans,until then shut up.

[Susan Smith is nauseating]

Susan Smith And Gene Smith: 50 years later and you are still trying to disparage a man who has committed himself to his country and county. He would even help you two losers and you know it. You can't blame Young for whatever this company is being investigated for and you know it. People are people, companies are companies and crooks will do whatever they have to to get what they want. And sooner or later they all get caught. Grow up both of you, you both win the award for the biggest boil on the A*S of society.

[Thank you S. Smith if not for you NOTHING would have been done about Sansom,(it will blow over)]

" People are people, companies are companies and crooks will do whatever they have to to get what they want. And sooner or later they all get caught. Grow up both of you, you both win the award for the biggest boil on the A*S of society."
No name calling then this? OMG,your hero limbaugh has the boil that kept him safe and sound.
I agree with a good part of this.
You know Susan Smith is a hero is many peoples eyes,if not for her ethics complaint lodged against Sansom NOTHING would have been done by the Republican leadership,NOTHING!
Thank you again Susan S.
BTW,are you back on the crack again?
I don't see Susan Smith.

[Oh No!]

Another dirty repiggie revealed now that we actually have rule of law returning to the land.

Bye-Bye, Young!

Hello, Justice!

[how 'bout them repiggies]

Where are the faux-libertarians on this issue?

Absolutely silent, as usual...

Huge amounts of tax monies go out the door to these defense contractors, and not a peep, not a little complaint from the so-called libertarians.

Watch them go into a howling rage and a massive hissy fit whenever tax monies are proposed to set up a public option for health care for those with no hope of health insurance.

Repiggies, including all those so-called Libertarian phonies, are just a pack of big government fascists willing to give the defense corporations carte blanche, along with all the other corporate businesses, most of which already pay a much lower tax rate than the average person.

[how 'bout them O baaah maaaa supporters]

Baaah!

Morning translation -

How will you Baaah rak O baaah maaa sheep, errr supporters, be following your beloved leader off this cliff today?

Baaah!

[Why is the investigation secret?]

Could someone please tell us what exactly IS the investigation at CONAX for? Is this something serious we should know about right now? Is Young involved and CYA?

[They ALL suck, and they ALL need to go!]

Yo Pig,

Corruption has no Party affiliation. Both sides have been screwing us for years and years, you simp. Bush handed his cronies billions of our tax dollars on his way out the door, and Obama did the same on his way in.

Try reading a freaking book you minion moron.

[KK]

Make no mistake about it people… Charlie Justme is no different that the rest. Voters sent him to Tallytown to address property taxes and insurance… and what did we get from him…?

… truck nuts, baggy pants, and a self-serving exemption from the Resign-to-Run Law so he could run against CW on our dime.

[Mike Russo]

There has been a lot of controversy surrounding Congressman Young and the United States Special Operations Command during the last 4-5 years. It starts with the torturing of prisoners, the missing $20M, framing Tom Spellissy because he didn't cooperate with Young and his Generals to include Rumsfeld and now the questionable earmarks. All of us who have worked for the government know that you can't receive a plus up or an earmark without a great degree of cooperation. Young is no different than Randy "Duke" Cunningham. I am sure that we wil find out much more in the coming months.

[Alice]

WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House is being forced to acknowledge the wide gap between its once-upbeat predictions about the economy and today's bleak landscape.

The administration's annual midsummer budget update is sure to show higher deficits and unemployment and slower growth than projected in President Barack Obama's budget in February and update in May, and that could complicate his efforts to get his signature health care and global-warming proposals through Congress.

The release of the update - usually scheduled for mid-July - has been put off until the middle of next month, giving rise to speculation the White House is delaying the bad news at least until Congress leaves town on its August 7 summer recess.

[floridaisblue]

Rep. Bill Young caught with his pants down:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tpOyLxVnOI