Now that Harry Reid's version of the Health Care Bill has been sidelined and his keeping of the Senate in session until the very last minute before Christmas, one has to wonder what the cost has really been.

Forgetting the $300 million given to Senator Nelson of Nebraska and the $100 million given to Louisiana and all of the other pledges that probably will not come to fruition. I mean the cost to taxpayers in hard cash.

No one could make travel arrangements until the last minute. Those who might have made early travel arrangements with those "non-refundable" airfares to return home for Christmas vacation probably lost them. President Obama left on time but he and his entourage were probably the only ones. The entire senate and their staff were being held hostage by Harry Reid. They could not make travel arrangements ahead of time. They could not save any money. When they could finally travel home for the holidays, they had to pay top of the line airfares. I am not just talking about the 100 Senators from their respective states. Each Senator has a staff of dozens, even hundreds of clerks, advisers, administrative assistants and family. What was that cost?

If I made a flight from Washington, D.C. to Detroit today for a flight today, the cost would be $617.84. However, if I made the arrangements ahead of time, the cost of the flight would be $217.75 So who picks up the difference $400.09, the taxpayers. Oh, I didn't choose to fly first class as most senators would do. The penalty for flying first class is less severe but the average costs for the same flight is $1,453.40. Who pays? The taxpayers!

If this were a private business, someone would have been called on the carpet for wasteful spending. What needs to happen is that the Federal Government needs to be audited and congressional spending needs to be put under a microscope.

That is my stand, what do you think?