After ignoring the $1.5 Billion budget gap for the first half of the regular session on homosexual marriage and locking out Republicans and moderate Democrats from last minute budget negotiations, the governor had to call yet another special session in hopes of actually getting budget written and passed.
While in Olympia doing what we supposedly voted these representatives in for, each are allowed to draw up to $90 a day per diem to help offset temporary living expenses while working in Olympia.
Yet we now read from the Oregonian,
“Three weeks into the special session, the Capitol looks more like a ghost town than the bustling center of state budget negotiations.
Budget talks remained in limbo this week. Mostly just party leaders in the House and Senate and a handful of key budget writers — including Sen. Joe Zarelli, R-Ridgefield — have stayed in town to work toward settling the Legislature’s unfinished business.”
“Meanwhile, a number of lawmakers who have gone home to their districts continue to collect per diem. The most they can take is $90 a day.”
“The House is producing a report on which representatives are taking the pay.”
“Vancouver Democrats Reps. Jim Moeller and Tim Probst are taking per diem. Republican Reps. Ann Rivers from La Center, Ed Orcutt of Kalama and Paul Harris from Vancouver said they are not taking the pay.”
Read more here
How many different ways can Democrats stick it to taxpayers? Why are taxpayers paying these people extra money to sit on their butts??
UPDATE: A more recent Columbian article says Tim Probst is not receiving per diem.
