$621 million well spent on the Capitol Visitors Center? Harry Reid thinks so (http://www.dcexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/YeasandNays/Reid_We_wont_smell_the_tourists_anymore_12_02_2008 .html)...


“My staff tells me not to say this, but I’m going to say it anyway,” said Reid in his remarks. “In the summer because of the heat and high humidity, you could literally smell the tourists coming into the Capitol. It may be descriptive but it’s true.”

Not only do our elected officials no longer have to smell the tourists, the center has many bathrooms and "souvenirs are available."

Citizens against Government waste calls it among the most wasteful examples of botched construction projects ever promulgated by the federal government."

In that it is a proper tribute to Congress.

Mathew Spalding of the Heritage Foundation gives a great review of this new improvement :
Liberalized center is 'Capitol' crime | tallahassee.com | Tallahassee Democrat (http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20081202/OPINION05/812020311/1006/OPINION)

I took a virtual tour of this monstrosity. For $621 million dollars I can attest to the fact it was pure wasted dollars. Plain and simple, it was a project to make a friend of whoever in Congress decided what contractor to make rich this month.

And get rid of that "tourist" smell.