Checking the Balance

The long road ahead

John Micek has a report on Gov. Ed Rendell's closed-door budget meeting.

Gov. Ed met behind doors yesterday with Democratic lawmakers to urge them to back his $28.9 billion budget, and with it, a politically risky plan to raise the state personal income tax.

Backbench Democrats emerged from the session generally sympathetic to Rendell's arguments, but far from sold on temporarily boosting the tax from 3.07 percent to 3.57 percent for three years, raising $4.5 billion.

Rep. Steve Samuelson, D-Northampton, said there was ''robust discussion'' during the hour-long session.

For those of you playing along at home, Rendell needs the support of 102 House members and 26 senators. It seems he's got his work cut out for him.

If Rendell plans on convincing Pennsylvanians that his proposed tax hike is the right decision, he's going to have to create a united Democrat front first (something that he certainly does not have now). 

Rendell has the support of House Majority Leader Todd Eachus, House Speaker Keith McCall and Senate Minority Robert Mellow.  Which is a good start, but it's going to take a lot more work to get the rank-and-file members on board.  

On a side note, a quote that I found interesting:

''I'm going to look at all the different possibilities,'' said Rep. Josh Shapiro, D-Montgomery, usually a staunch Rendell loyalist. ''We have to eliminate all our own waste and get as bare-bones as we can. Then we can go and look at what the shortfall is.''

I wonder if Shapiro is planning to take a gander at his personal spending...

CTB's Accountability Initiative: Josh Shapiro

Let's get right into it...

Rep. Josh Shapiro, 153rd district, Elected in 2005 and serving his third term.

Standing committee assignments:

Appropriations (Secretary), Finance, Insurance, Judiciary

Shapiro's biography

Shapiro is known a future political "superstar" and was going to run for Senate, until Sen. Arlen Specter joined the Democrats.

A look at the highlights from Shapiro's claimed reimbursements (since 2005)

Expense type	Total Cost	Yearly Average
Business Meals	$3,573.32	812.12
District Cooler/Water Supplies	2,251.86	511.78
Employer's Vehicle Lease	11,508.50	2,615.57
Fixed Asset- District Office Sign	2,396.21	544.59
Gas & Oil	14,005.53	3,183.08
Janitorial/ Cleaning Services	7777.67	1,767.65
Meals Expense	10,282.04	2,336.83
Office Supplies	16,798.92	3,817.94
Other Services	4,197.97	976.81
Publications- Periodicals	3,269.15	742.99
Staff Mileage	2,248.49	511.02
Vehicle Maintenance	1,673.62	380.37
Window Cleaning	1,121.44	254.87
All reimbursements	278,917.22	63,390.28

Notes from the above chart:

• Business Meals and Meals Expense-  These aren't Per Diems.  On 2/19/05, Shapiro spent $503.50 on Business Meals.  On 4/28/06, Shapiro spent $1,919.00 on Business Meals.  On 9/30/05, Shapiro spent $3,117.56 on Meals Expense.  That last amount would cover groceries for a family of four for five months.
• District Cooler/Water Supplies-  With a cost of a little over $500/year, at least we know that Shapiro and his staff are well hydrated.
• Fixed Asset/ District Office Sign-  This category appears seven times on Shapiro's reimbursement records.  I was under the impression that signs were built to last; apparently, I was wrong.
• Employer's Vehicle Lease, Gas & Oil, Staff Mileage and Vehicle Maintenance-  The whole idea behind Hybrid vehicles is to get better mileage and save money.  Not so fast.  From March 29, 2005 to February 2, 2009, Shapiro drove a state-funded 2005 Jeep Cherokee.  On February 3, 2009, Shapiro was given a state-funded 2009 Mercury Mariner Hybrid.  The Cherokee had a monthly payment of $290.  Shapiro's new Mercury has a monthly payment of $644.  So, the question is; is Shapiro saving the state money by going "green?"  That answer would be a resounding NO.  Using the reimbursement figures, we can estimate that Shapiro drives about 20,000 miles/year ($3,000/year in fuel costs, about $3 per gallon and Shapiro's 05 Cherokee is supposed to get about 20 MPG).  Shapiro's new hybrid gets between 29-32 MPG, which means he'll need about 650 gallons of gas for 20,000 miles.  The bottom line:  Shapiro spent about $6,600/year on his vehicle's lease and fuel for his Cherokee (05-08).  Shapiro's estimated yearly costs (fuel and lease) for his shiny, new Mercury Mariner Hybrid; $9,600.  Just think about this for a second.  In a time when our government is supposed to cutting costs, Shapiro is adding $3,000.  Ugh...
• Janitorial/ Cleaning Services and Window Cleaning-  These two categories combine to cost taxpayers $2,000/year.  Here's an idea, do the cleaning yourself.  If these politicians are truly serious about cutting costs and running more efficiently, then why don't they just pick up after themselves and save thousands of dollars in taxpayer money.  I know that isn't much in the grand scheme of things, but at least it's something.
•  Other Services-  This is an unacceptable category.   Shapiro spent $2,832.50 on 11/28/07. How do you account for every dollar when you allow this type of record keeping?  Vague claims like this one shouldn't be accepted or reimbursed.
• Publications- Periodicals-  Shapiro spends a little over $700/year on this category.  Note to all of you people who raise money by selling magazine subscriptions; drop by your representative's office as they will surely pick-up a couple.

If you are interested in checking out all of the date used to compile these charts, please download this spreadsheet.  Download Shapirocat

A look at Shapiro's campaign contributors

Sector	2004	2006	2008
Party Committees	390,839	21,410	N/A
Lawyers & Lobbyists	67,770	43,550	126,889
General Trade Unions	29,950	54,000	51,250
Health Professionals	23,910	25,823	17,700
Public Sector Unions	12,156	11,750	7,925
Insurance	N/A	6,000	8,500

Notes from the above chart:

• Lawyers and Lobbyists-  Shapiro serves on the Judiciary Committee which means he shouldn't really be taking money from lawyers.
• Insurance- Although it isn't a lot of money, Shapiro serves on the Insurance Committee, which means there is a potential  for "conflict of interest."

According to his Statement(s) of Financial Interest, Shapiro hasn't received any gifts worth more than $250.

My take

The first Accountability Initiative case was Rep. Douglas Reichley and I discovered that he spent about $57,000 in reimbursements.  I thought that was excessive.  Needless to say, the numbers say Shapiro is more excessive, as he averages $63,000/year in reimbursements. 

When we're trying to have a government that is responsible and efficient, a vehicle upgrade (like the one Shapiro received) is especially concerning. 

I think it's about time for the state to cap reimbursement numbers.  There are no excuses for representatives spending more on reimbursements than the average American family makes ($46,000).

The bottom line, if every representative trimmed their personal budget by 10k, the state would save $2 million.  Maybe it's just me, but I think we could use that $2 million a little more effectively.

Once again, I'd like to thank the PA Office of Open Records for quickly responding and fulfilling my many information requests. 

*I'm currently scanning all of the documents I used for this, so if you're interested in looking at them, they'll be up in a couple days.

The Standings (average reimbursement total/year)

1. Rep. Josh Shapiro (153rd District)-  $63,390.28/year
2. Rep. Douglas Reichley (134th District)-  $57,153.36/year

CTB Accountability Initiative

A new Accountability Initiative is coming in a couple hours.  This time I'm looking at a southeast Democrat. 

How will he stack up against Douglas Reichley? 

Stay tuned...

CTB Accountability Initiative *update*

I've had a few people ask me for the files I used to come up with this article; CTB Accountability Initiative: Douglas Reichley.  So, I decided to scan everything and put the files into PDF form.  I'll start doing this for all future Accountability Initiative cases.

The Reichley files

Download Reimbursereichley1

Download Reimbursereichley2

Download Reimbursereichley3

Download Giftsreichley

Download Vehiclereichley

CTB's Accountability Initiative: Douglas Reichley

Today, I present you the first case in CTB's Accountability Initiative.  But, before we get to our first subject, a quick recap of what I'm trying to accomplish:

"The CTB Accountability Initiative's goal is to present unbiased information to voters, so they know whether PA lawmakers are using taxpayer resources for the greater good of the Keystone state or for their own self-serving purposes."

Let the fun begin...

 Rep. Douglas Reichley, 134th District, Elected in 2003 and serving his fourth term.

 Standing committee assignments:

 Consumer Affairs, Health & Human Services, Professional Licensure, Appropriations (Vice Chairmen)

Reichley's biography.

Reichley has been making headlines by "accusing" Gov. Ed Rendell of using "Pay to Play" tactics.

Straight from the Representative's mouth:

• "The disclosures over the past year of possible favoritism in awarding contracts leads us to worry that Pennsylvania is not immune to the perception that — it's not what you can do but who you know — that gets you preferential treatment in state contracts," - Reichley on how Pay to Play tactics may be affecting PA (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 2/11/09)

• Maher's amendment, said Republican Rep. Doug Reichley of Allentown, was an attempt "to take another step forward to restore integrity for this chamber."

  "We thought it was important there not be this conflict of interest."- Reichley in response to a beaten ethics measure (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 2/9/09)

• "In the last six years, the pay-to-play mind-set that prevailed in Philadelphia under Mayor Rendell has migrated to Harrisburg to become the prevailing motto for the award of no-bid contracts worth millions of taxpayer dollars to friends and supporters of Gov. Rendell," he said. Rendell served as mayor of Philadelphia from 1992-1999.

  "The governor has strained the legal interpretation of state contract law,"- Reichley accusing Gov. Ed Rendell of using "Pay to Play" tactics (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 1/10/09)

• ''We believe the time has come for pay-to-play to end,'' said Rep. Doug Reichley, R-Lehigh, referring to the widely derided -- and bipartisan -- practice of rewarding campaign donors with public contracts. ''The taxpayers are not being well-served.''- Reichley on why PA needs o end "Pay to Play" politics (The Morning Call, 4/24/09)

So, let's take a look at how Reichley is serving the taxpayers...

A look at the highlights from Reichley's claimed reimbursements (since 2003)

Expense Type	Total Cost	Yearly Average
Business Meals	$5,551.54	$925.26
Communication Services	1,448.44	241.41
District Furniture and Equip. Lease	10,696.30	1,782.72
Employer's Vehicle Lease	18,823.09	3,137.18
Gas & Oil	20,786.44	3,464.41
Janitorial Services	4,190.64	698.44
Office Supplies	10,668.49	1,778.08
Photographic Services	1,223.59	203.93
Publications- Periodicals	2,498.33	416.39
Staff Mileage	3625.93	604.32
Vehicle Maintenance	2162.23	360.38
All reimbursements	342,920.13	57,153.36

 Notes from the above chart:

• Business Meals- Keep in mind that these aren't Per Diems.  On 9/22/04, Reichley spent $812.38 on Business Meals.  On 3/25/06, Reichley spent $1,061.77 on Business Meals.  These meals must have been fairly important, considering an average family of four spends $600 a month in groceries.
• Communication and Photographic Services- Reichley spends about $450/year in these two areas.  Now, there are no details to what these two categories are, so let's just hope none of the photos purchased with taxpayer money were used in Reichley campaign material.
• Gas & Oil, Employer's Vehicle Lease, Staff Mileage and Vehicle Maintenance-  This must be a pretty sweet deal.  You know, to have your employer pay for your vehicle, it's maintenance and  fuel, while not having your yearly salary impacted.  An average American driver spends about $2600 on gas a year.  Reichley drove a taxpayer-sponsored 2005 Jeep Cherokee from April 6, 2005 to May 18, 2008.  The monthly lease payment was $290 and the vehicle is supposed to average 17-23 MPG.  On May 19, 2008, Reichley was given a new vehicle (according to records, this is his current vehicle), a 2008 Ford Escape.  The monthly lease payment is $364 and the vehicle averages 17-23 MPG.  So, in a time when our government is trying to cut back, Reichley increased his costs by almost $900/ a year.  Plus, isn't our government supposed to be environmentally conscious?  I can't see the benefit of paying for a more expensive vehicle that doesn't give you better performance.  The yearly cost for Reichley's vehicle (with Staff Mileage) is $7,566.29.
• Janitorial/ Cleaning Services-  PA taxpayers are stuck with a $700/year bill because it seems no one in Reichley's office can clean up after themselves or operate a vacuum cleaner.
• Publications- Periodicals- This one is extremely curious.  Taxpayers are paying a little over $400/ year so Reichley and his staff has reading material when they have down time.  That breaks down to about 13 subscriptions.  Perhaps, they are educational magazines such as Maxim or Soldier of Fortune.

A look at some "random" costs from Reichley's reimbursements (since 2003)

Expense Type	Total Cost	Yearly Average
Flags	$4,663.86	$771.31
Miscellaneous	667.64	111.23
Other Services	959.45	159.91
Site Rental	5,496.00	916.00

Notes from the above chart

• Miscellaneous- The benefit of doubt should be given to Reichley here as all of the "Miscellaneous" charges occurred in the first two months of his initial term.  We'll just chalk these costs up to Reichley being new to the job.
• Other Services- I can't give Reichley a free pass on this one.  These costs occurred between 2006 and 2008.  I know it's not a lot of money, but if taxpayer money is being used "Other Services" is an unacceptable description. Every dollar needs to be accounted for.
• Site Rental- Another extremely vague cost and taxpayers have paid for it nineteen times. 

If you are interested in checking out all of the data used to compile these charts please download this spreadsheet.  Download Reichley/category 

A look at Reichley's campaign contributors

Sector	2002	2004	2006	2008	Total
Automotive	250	1,550	4,400	4,250	10,450
Business Associations	12,750	674	600	1,500	15,524
Candidate Committees	8,650	1,800	5,557	5,250	21,257
Electric Utilities	1,000	2,500	4,450	7,050	15,000
Health Professionals	2,650	4,700	3,200	5,450	16,000
Lawyers & Lobbyists	9,000	7,100	12,803	12,592	41,495
Party Committees	148,551		18,241		166,792
Pharmaceuticals & Health Products		2,450	4,900	9,050	16,400
Real Estate	3,800	10,750	17,950	5,750	38,250
Uncoded	12,775	(5,322)	59,150	59,360	125,96

Notes from the above chart

• Automotive and Business Associations- Reichley has a potential conflict of interest because he is on the Consumer Affairs committee.
• Lawyers & Lobbyists and Real Estate-  Reichley is on the Professional Licensure committee.  It's tough taking him seriously when he talks about ending "Pay to Play" politics because he receives a substantial amount of money from lobbyists.
• Health Professional and Pharmaceuticals & Health Products- Reichley says it's time to end "Pay to Play" politics.  However, Reichley is on the Health and Human Services committee, so why is he taking money from pharmaceutical companies?

Although he spends almost $60,000/year in taxpayer money, at least he isn't accepting gifts like some other PA politicians.

Pennsylvania lawmakers accepted more than $60,000 in travel, meals and other freebies last year, according to mandatory statements of financial interest newly filed with the State Ethics Commission.

About three dozen of the 253 state representatives and senators disclosed gifts or free "transportation, lodging, hospitality" in the reports that were due in Harrisburg on Friday.

They let others pay for their football and baseball tickets; golf fees; travel to Japan, Australia, Turkey and Switzerland; and legislative or political conferences at various locations within the United States.

They also accepted donations for senior expos and similar events worth an additional $15,000.

Reichley filed his Statement of Financial Interests on April 28, 2009 and reported receiving no gifts worth more than $250.

Conclusion

Reichley may be spearheading a campaign to eliminate Pay to Play tactics in PA, but some of his campaign history suggests that he has the forsaken "potential for conflict of interest."

I have no way of knowing (yet, this is only the first case) if Reichley's reimbursement claims are on par with other Representatives, but $57,000/year seems quite excessive.  Especially when you consider that the average American family makes $46,326.  

Before I go, I would like to thank the PA Office of Open Records for quickly responding to my many information requests.  The entire process of requesting information to receiving the hard documents took a little less than two weeks.  The people who I dealt with made it a top priority to get the exact information I wanted and they communicated every step of the way.

The CTB Accountability Initiative

I began Checking the Balance during last year's election season and now that we're into a non-election year I've noticed a trend;  politicians aren't kept under the same scrutiny during non-election years as they are for ones with elections.  I know, I know.  Big surprise.  But, as non-surprising as this may be, it's still a big deal.

Checking up on our public servants shouldn't be a bandwagon event.  With all the corruption in Pennsylvania, now is the time to make sure our lawmakers have Pennsylvania's best interests as their number one priority.  So, without further ado, I present Checking the Balance's Accountability Initiative.*

The CTB Accountability Initiative's goal is to present unbiased information to voters, so they know whether PA lawmakers are using taxpayer resources for the greater good of the Keystone state or for their own self-serving purposes. 

I don't want to give too much away, but (taking a page from CTB's favorite AG Tom Corbett) the results of this Accountability Initiative will "shock the conscience of people."

The first Accountability Initiative case will go live tomorrow morning.

* If anyone has a suggestion for a catchier name than "the Checking the Balance Accountability Initiative," please send it my way.