Since, as Michelle Malkin informs us, “The Runaway Senate Dems remain AWOL — and wire reports say they could be on the lam ‘for weeks’“, it would be nice to know who’s footing the bill of their accommodations in Illinois. Hotel rooms don’t come cheap.
Democrats on the run in Wisconsin avoided state troopers Friday and threatened to stay in hiding for weeks, potentially paralyzing the state government in a standoff with majority Republicans over union powers for public employees.
It costs money to paralyze state government, not just, at least in this case, providing security for the state legislators who have been receiving death threats, but for those fleeing their home state and their own homes to remain in hiding.
According to my recent search, a room at the BestWestern ClockTower Resort in Rockford, IL (where some of the obstructionist Democrats have been spotted) runs $119 a night. (Rooms in Chicago likely cost a bit more.) If they’re going to be on the lam for just weeks, we’re talking about $1,666 (less if the legislators bunk up, more if they go for more deluxe accommodations). And that doesn’t include food, dry cleaning and entertainment.
Are the public employee unions paying to keep them comfortable or perhaps the Democratic National Committee?
They will probably have expenses paid by their campaigns. Campaign funds can be used for almost anything.
I don’t think they will attempt to submit the expenses to the state. Wisconsin provides a specific per diem to legislatures (one amount if they live inside Dane County, more if they live outside), but only if they are in Madison. I also think travel needs to be pre-approved.
I wouldn’t put it past them to submit the bills for their unapproved vacations to the state. These are the kind of people who would feel perfectly justified doing so as “payback” to the taxpayers (they are, afterall, hiding out for democracy!).
By the way, Wisconsin Senate Rule 16 provides that members may not be absent from a session for the entire day without first obtaining a leave of absence which requires a majority vote of the Senate to approve it. None of those scumbags bothered with Rule 16, did they?
Again, the rule of law means NOTHING to these people.
The fleeing Democrats will just bill their expenses as a “Caucus retreat”, and be reimbursed by either the Party apparatus, or their campaign committees.
These Democrats should not receive any pay from the state nor should any striking teachers. The teachers union should also foot the cost of any clean up and extra security. Public employees should not be unionized as their dues go to elect their own bosses (Democrats) and it becomes a vicious cycle of corruption at the taxpayer’s expense. Imagine under Obamacare, government doctors going on strike…this is a nightmare.
I heard Governor Scott’s next step is to fire the AWOL Senate Democrats’ respective staffs. He’s playing hardball.
They make it sound like Smoky and the Bandit. How, exactly, did they avoid the state troopers?
If these liberals file taxes at all (hahaha) it wouldn’t surprise me if they file this as business travel expenses.