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U.S. Lawmakers to Taxpayers: "You are all concerned about nickels and dimes, and I'm not"
Tuesday, March 2, 2010 8:30 AM
Today's Wall Street Journal has a story on overseas travel stipends for members of Congress. According to the article,
When lawmakers travel overseas on official business they are given up to $250 a day in taxpayer funds to cover meals and expenses. Congressional rules say they must return any leftover cash to the government.
They usually don't.
Many lawmakers claim they didn't even know the repayment rule was on the books. But what is even worse than the claimed ignorance, is the attitude with which the money is being kept and/or spent. Here are some of the quotes from lawmakers from both parties from the Wall Street Journal:
"If that was the policy, you could never get many members traveling," (Rep. Solomon Ortiz, D-TX)
"The extra money and the plus-ups are really for the spouses," (Rep. Mark Souder, R-IN)
"I don't keep up with it penny for penny," (Rep. Rod Aderholt, R-AL)
That is not to say all lawmakers are equally guilty when it comes to travel stipends. Sen. Arlen Specter has been diligent about returning funds, according to the WSJ. And Sen. Tom Coburn ran into problems wanting to repay the State Department, which told him they don't have a process for repayment.
But it is statements like these that really rub taxpayers the wrong way:
"You are all concerned about nickels and dimes, and I'm not. (...) You know, in a taxicab in Kazakhstan, I don't have time to get a receipt—I don't speak Kazakh." (Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-FL)
In the grand scheme of things, we may be talking about nickles and dimes in this context. However, it is taxpayer dollars, not the lawmakers' personal petty cash. I don't recall ever having said "You can keep the change," and I am sure you don't, either. But it's just so easy to spend other people's money.
Reader Comments:
At a time when the American people are buckling down and cutting back, the politicians remain completely tone-deaf; it is the absolute height of irresponsibility. It's amazing how some of them feel absolutely no misgivings about spending money that isn't theirs.
Steve, FL / Your Location
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