$20 Million in the Mail
Author
Thomas Wiest
CEO, Aspirience Home Care
Here’s an alarming fact I read: U.S. House members spent $20.3 million in tax money last year to send constituents what’s often the government equivalent of junk mail: meeting announcements, tips on car care, sideline business offerings, committee interviews, surveys on public policy and just plain bragging.
Can you believe that? $20 million dollars!
They sent nearly 116 million pieces of mail in all, many of them glossy productions filled with flattering photos, lists of the latest roads and bridges the lawmaker has brought home to the district and yes…tips on car care. Tips on car care?? I can get that from the channel 5 news in the morning when they update traffic.
A dozen House members spent more than $133,000 each to send 9.8 million pieces of mass mailings. Total cost on that? $1.8 million.
Of the 64 House members with at least $100,000 in taxpayer-funded mailing expenses, 42 were Republicans and 22 were Democrats. Not that it matters, this priviledge was abused either way you look at it.
In sharp contrast, 59 lawmakers, 35 Republicans and 24 Democrats, spent nothing on mass mailings. They tended to be the more experienced House members.
Here’s the Minnesota connection:
A former House representative spent $152,000 in taxpayer funded mailings last year, more than any other House member from Minnesota and 13th of all House members in mailing expenses.
Here’s another Minnesota connection:
- $20 million will fund at least a half dozen nursing homes in the state for a year;
- It will fund home care for almost 750 clients in the state for a year;
- Lastly, the 45 smallest non-profit organizations in the state don’t even have budgets or income large enough to equate $20 million each.
With health care reform almost being forced upon us and no end in sight for more changes inevitably coming, even $20 million would go a long ways.