Top Food & Other Expenditures by Members of U.S. House in 2009 Q3

Watchdog.org ^ | December 14, 2009 | Earl Glynn

[Sequoyah101]

Guam Delegate Madeleine Z Bordallo spent $6,090 on food and beverages on Aug 11 while visiting her home district with the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee.

It’s just one facet of $145 million spent by House of Representative members revealed in the Statement of Disbursements. One small charge to taxpayers was $8.80 for laundry, and the largest single recipient was the U.S. Postal Service at almost $6 million.

[Sequoyah101]

Interesting reading while one wonders what they do with our money.

For example, how did Congresswhatever Steve King manage to rack up so many personal vehicle miles?

Steve King Private Owned Vehicle Mileage

$24,003

At the IRS reimbursement rate of $0.55/mile he or somebody he is associated with managed to drive 43,601 miles in the reporting period. That is a lot of miles and note that this is for the third quarter of 2009! I must say that I am impressed at the same time I must question the veracity of the expense claim. Maybe there is some special reimbursement rate for congresscreeps that is better than we peons get ...everything else the anointed ones get is better than they allow us to have.

As it now stands this is just a rant but I intend to review the expenses for my creep and spinators and, if warranted, ask them why they spend my money so flagrantly.

Just one more thing, this is from the IRS. Does it cost everybody less to drive to the doctor or for charitable work than it does for business? Is there some special and more efficient medical car or charitable use car or pickup I don't know about that costs less to operate?

Beginning on Jan. 1, 2009, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be:

* 55 cents per mile for business miles driven * 24 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes * 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations