February 9th, 2010—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today condemned the House of Representatives for voting to purchase a beach on the island of St. Croix for $50 million as “an irresponsible handout to the owners who were not likely to be able to sell in this environment.”
“How can anything Congress says about cutting the deficit or improving economic conditions be taken seriously?” Wilson demanded, adding, “If they’re willing to waste $50 million buying a beach in the Virgin Islands, is there nothing too ridiculous for them to waste our money on?”
The final vote in Congress was 240-175. Not a single Republican voted to buy the beach.
According to a FOXNews.com report, the vote took place despite the fact that the National Park Service has yet to complete a study on the purchase.
The land includes 2,900-plus acres of beachfront property that, according to the report, “the Gasperi family maintains it wants to sell the land to the U.S. government in order to protect it from developers. Critics in Congress say there is nothing stopping them from doing that. They don’t have to sell, or the family could impose a conservation easement on the land, preventing development forever.”
“This Congress has lost all credibility,” said Wilson, concluding, “It has broken faith with the American people and no longer even pretends to have the public interest in mind. They are looting, pure and simple.”
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