(Post Gazette): “Senate and House Republicans released a long list of employees who got bonuses for legislative work in 2005-06, with one new GOP senator calling for a state audit of all four legislative caucuses to see if any taxpayer money had been used illegally as "political payback'' for campaign work.”
This issue is the symptom of a larger problem. I have always been bothered by the fact that party leaders control the funds for the office staff of each House and Senate member. Financial pressure can be applied in the from the party leadership in the form of threatened office staff cuts if a Representative of Senator refuses to toe the party line.
In 2005, Rep. DeWeese demoted a dozen Democrat Committee leaders for not voting for the pay raise. Similar threats were made on the Republican side, but not carried through. The pay reduction from losing a committee leadership position was around $4,000.
The bottom line: Whether it is income to the Senator or Representative, office staff budgets, or “bonuses” paid to staff members, it is all public taxpayer money, which should never be leveraged to sway votes.
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