Flickr photo / TW Collins
Back in May, we raised our eyebrows at a New York Times story that reported taxpayers are footing the bill for the vehicles driven by hundreds of members of Congress.
Today, we’re raising our eyebrows a little more after discovering how members of Congress use the $1.3 million to $1.63 million they get each year to run their offices – the swanky name for this money is a “Member’s Representational Allowance.”
The findings aren’t exactly making lawmakers appear thrifty.
Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) spent $11,224 for four Sony Bravia 46-inch, high-definition LCD TVs for his Chicago-area offices. Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) shelled out $1,864.18 for a barbecue with colleagues at Red, Hot & Blue, and almost as much ($1,425) for Chinese food from Meiwah. Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.) purchased “tropical interior plants” for $190.
The list goes on in the article from Politico, including more information on the types of cars lawmakers are leasing. (Hint: They’re not all fuel-efficient.)
Now, maybe we’re being a little too hard on some of these representatives. There might be a perfectly good reason why they spent this much money on interior décor and office do-dads last year. But at least we can rest assured that if a Congress member’s office overspends, the money comes out of his or her salary.
I continue to be ashamed and mystified of our gov’t officials
behavior and response to serious issues they created. Then expect the American citizens to bail them out. In addition they ignore our wishes of what we want and don’t want. This has all the makings of a dysfunctional and abusive relationship. We citizens are going to have to stand tall and take more aggressive action against them until they get the fact that we are not going to stand by and be abused any more. They make a good salary, let them pay for what they want out of it. Like the rest of us even though we don’t make good salaries because of decisions they made.