Lawmakers Have Long Rewarded Their Aides With Bonuses

WSJ ^ | 4/01/2009 | BRODY MULLINS and LOUISE RADNOFSKY

[MattAMatt]

Last year alone, more than 200 House lawmakers, both Republicans and Democrats, awarded bonuses totaling $9.1 million to more than 2,000 staff members, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of office-disbursement forms. The money comes out of taxpayer-funded office budgets, and is surplus cash that would otherwise be forfeited if not spent.

[Ann Archy]

THIS IS DISGUSTING!!!!! I’ll bet most were Republicans.

[MattAMatt]

Kinda hard to draw that conclusion when most are Democrats in the House & Senate. Nice try though.

[Made In The USA]

Bonus plans I’ve been in have always called for a measureable result to be acheived.

WHAT could possibly merit a bonus from anyone in our government? From either party. What exactly did taxpayers get in return for a $9,100,000.00 expense?

[deport]

and is surplus cash that would otherwise be forfeited if not spent.

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This is a problem with the gov’t budgeting process in that if you have a budget allocation for this year and you fail to spend every penny of it then you have lost the money in their minds. So most departments will try to spend every penny even if they don't really need the item, etc. The mentality is to spend it rather than let it return back to the treasury.

[Ann Archy]

Ususally Republicans pay their workers more than Democrats do.......my own experience.

[bitterohiogunclinger]

“What exactly did taxpayers get in return for a $9,100,000.00 expense?”
At least 9 billion in bailouts, Porkulus 1 and 2, a 4 billion budget, government takeover of private enterprise, economic collapse, a bankrupt financial system, environmental wacko control of energy policies. Need I continue?