Pelosi Keeps Her Eye On the Treasure

July 31, 2009

Pelosi Keeps Her Eye On the Treasure

San Francisco Speaker Sees Green As Greed Takes Over

Washington- San Francisco’s bank account may stand to benefit from more taxpayer funds under Nancy Pelosi’s watch. The Speaker of the House’s eye seems to be on the green lately as she once again reaches deep into taxpayer’s pockets, but this time she’s after treasure. Treasure Island is a decommissioned Navy base located on a man-made island in the San Francisco Bay. Still owned by the Navy, Treasure Island is currently up for sale. And Pelosi has no qualms with using her gavel to get what she wants, backing legislation to acquire the land for commercial development.

“The Navy estimates it is worth $240 million; the city offered a tenth of that value. Pelosi has personally fought and negotiated with the Navy over the land transfer, but those negotiations broke down. Now, under the provision in the House bill, lawmakers could force the Navy to wave a white flag and accept a sweetheart deal for the city that involves no immediate payment for the land.” (The Hill, Pelosi has her eye on Treasure Island, Tiron, 7/29/2009)

This is not the first time Pelosi flexed her political muscle to benefit developers in San Francisco and her nephew, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. In 2004, she used her ally Rep. John Murtha to pressure the Navy to turn over part of its shipyard at Hunters Point to the City of San Francisco for commercial development.

“The agreement came a few weeks after the Navy sent Newsom a letter saying that it was having doubts about going ahead with an agreement that was announced with great fanfare in Washington in January 2002 by Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, then-Mayor Willie Brown and Navy Secretary Gordon England.

When he was in Washington last Wednesday, Newsom met in the Capitol offices of Pelosi, the House minority leader, with Pelosi, Navy Assistant Secretary Hansford T. Johnson, representatives of California Democratic Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, and Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., a big gun brought in by Pelosi to convince the Navy the time for delays had passed.

Murtha, the powerful ranking Democrat on the House military appropriations subcommittee, made it clear to the Navy that he wanted a binding agreement signed by Wednesday. Another meeting was held in Pelosi’s offices Wednesday, minus Newsom, and the Navy signed the accord.” (San Francisco Chronicle, Navy Signs Binding Pact On First Parts of Shipyard, Epstein, 4/1/2004)

“Not even record deficits and rising unemployment can stop Speaker Pelosi from negotiating questionable deals at the expense of taxpayers,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain. “While 120 American cities are struggling with unemployment rates higher than San Francisco, middle-class families are wondering one thing: Where are the jobs the Democrats promised with their “stimulus” package?”

Why is Pelosi’s district continuously a recipient of government funds? Is it because Pelosi is holding the Speaker’s gavel?

###