Congress has only been back in session for a week and already, they are finding new ways to waste your money….this time to the tune of $4 billion. 

 The West Los Angeles Medical Center, sits on some of the most valuable real estate on the West Coast.  Many of you may have seen it on the west side of the 405 freeway.  The 387 acres that make up the campus, neighbors some of Hollywood’s biggest names.  The medical center is home to one of the largest Veterans Affairs facilities in the country.  The compound is so large, that roughly 21 out of 91 buildings are vacant.  In 2002, the Department of Veterans Affairs studied its infrastructure and discovered that the unused portion of the campus might better be used for its real estate value.  It was estimated that the 200 acres, could yield $4 billion dollars in revenue, increasing economic growth on urban land that is currently unused.  Veterans could use these funds to help provide better and more comprehensive care to our veterans nationwide.  

The Veterans Affairs administration has yet to make a decision on the land, but already a provision has been slipped into the military construction and veteran’s affairs bill, in order to block the sale or lease of the land.  This proviso placed in the third paragraph of the Senate bill comes as a result of powerful lobbying interests in West LA, and from complaints from nearby Hollywood heavyweights that any changes would block the view, increase traffic flow, and generally contribute to the discontent of the surrounding mansions.

On the Senate Floor 25 Senators (only 1 Democrat) stood up to this clear waste of taxpayer resources.  The 75 Senators who opposed this, would be happier raising your taxes than utilizing available resources.  These resources can directly benefit our veterans who both need and deserve the resulting revenue.

This is just one example of many where government could raise revenue and reduce spending without raising taxes. Whether it is Hollywood, unions or others, they all would prefer to raise your taxes