In the Army I was taught a good leader sets the example. Consider this quality in a leader as we look at the latest hypocrisy of Congressman Billy Long.
Earlier this year, Congressman Billy Long voted to kill Medicare for most Americans who have paid into the system all their lives believing in the government's promise of medical care when they retire. Today, we learn Billy Long isn't setting the example. The News Leader actually asks Billy Long a tough question, while making the mistake of still calling him Tea Party. Apparently they missed the story in Andrew Breitbart's Big Government about how careless Congressman Long was with $1.25 billion of your tax dollars. I doubt the News Leader even questions Billy Long on that hypocrisy.
Here's the question the News Leader asks:
Are the tea party Congress members (such as Billy Long) refusing to accept congressional health care and retirement benefits?
What we find out probably won't surprise you. Billy Long is taking federal benefits despite being a multimillionaire who is so fed up against wasteful government spending he voted against you receiving benefits from a program you have paid into since your first paycheck, MEDICARE.
Let Long explain his own hypocrisy:
"I make monthly payments for one of the many health care plans that we're eligible for and a monthly contribution to the retirement plan," Long said in a statement.
So let me get this right. Billy Long wants to take away the benefits for something you have paid into month after month, but he isn't willing to set the example and go without himself?
WHAT A HYPOCRITE!
I knew this was going to happen, so this isn't any surprise to me. As Billy Long was out on the campaign trail giving his aw shucks stump speech explaining he wanted to run for Congress back when Roy Blunt ran for Congress, but he didn't want to raise his daughters in DC. Most of the lazy voting populous in Southwest Missouri overlooked an article in the December 2009 Springfield Business Journal where Long provided more insight about why he was really running for Congress.
How has the recession hit your company?
It's hurt our business like everybody else's. People think auctioneers will do better in bad times, but the truth is, we do better in good times, when there's a lot of demand in the market. ... Right now, there's not much demand, and there's a lot of supply. People will call wanting me to auction their house, and maybe they owe $180,000 and it's only worth $150,000 now.
So we know Billy Long's business was hurting for quite some time, and I have been told sales were considerably down at Murney Associates as the housing crisis hit as well.
So as Long was saying he wanted to run against Roy as Mel Hancock was leaving Washington, according many in the GOP including Roy Blunt's right hand, Long was absent from the political scene through the Roy Blunt years up until the housing bubble. Then suddenly it appears Long decides he needs a backup plan to ensure his retirement works out as it has been reported the housing market might not recover for a decade or so.
The writing is on the wall why Long went to Washington. Void of any political background, something he tried to hide by avoiding the tough questions and sticking to basic talking points and clever soundbites, Long went to Washington for the retirement benefits.
If he was a real leader, he wouldn't be taking government benefits to ensure the federal government takes care of him in the future while voting to kill Medicare.
The News-Leader reports Billy Long is taking both retirement and medical benefits.
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