Big spenders

[Qtec]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Both national party committees spend big chunks on fancy meals, hotels, travel


Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 21, 2010

<span style='font-size: 14pt'>Both the national Democratic and Republican party committees spend roughly <span style='font-size: 20pt'>two-thirds of the money they take in</span> on the care and comfort of committee staffs and on efforts to raise more funds,</span> with lavish spending on limousines, expensive hotels, meals and tips, an analysis of the latest financial disclosure data shows.

Monthly committee spending reports, like those that were due by midnight Tuesday, illustrate cultures in which vast sums are consumed with limited accountability, a Washington Post review demonstrates. Neither committee appears to have clear internal spending guidelines, and their reports do not explain hefty expenditures in categories such as "office supplies" and "tips" that consume tax-exempt party funds.

The two parties assert that to raise money, they must spend it, and both have long used donated funds to court and pamper prospective donors with luxurious getaways and gifts.

The nonprofit Center for Responsive Politics, in an analysis done at the request of The Post, calculated, however, that administrative and fundraising expenses consumed roughly $60 million of Democratic revenue in this cycle through the end of February, or <u>59 percent</u> of total revenue that exceeded $100 million. For Republicans, the amount consumed exceeded $74 million, or <u>68 percent </u>of $109 million in revenue</div></div>

link (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/20/AR2010042005183.html?hpid=topnews)



Q........

[pooltchr]

The parties do it, and so do the politicians. This is a problem many of us have been screaming about for years. For some reason, politicians and party leaders have come to believe they are entitled to a very lavish lifestyle. They need to come back down to earth.

I'm not saying they need to eat at McDonalds or ride around in a used KIA (Nothing against KIA, but they are about the most inexpensive brand I could come up with). But there is no reason to be spending thousands on big fancy dinners...Outback is pretty good, and reasonable.

If the pols had to live like the rest of us, they might have a better understanding of the problems we face every day.

Steve

[Chopstick]

[quote=Qtec] <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
<span style='font-size: 14pt'>Both the national Democratic and Republican party committees spend roughly <span style='font-size: 20pt'>two-thirds of the money they take in</span> on the care and comfort of committee staffs and on efforts to raise more funds,</span> with lavish spending on limousines, expensive hotels, meals and tips, an analysis of the latest financial disclosure data shows.

Q........ </div></div>

Absolutely right Mr Q and we intend to fire them all.

[LWW]

As abysmal as that is ... the money donated to the RNC/DNC is done so on a voluntary basis.

Anyone who disapproves of the use of the funds need simply stop contributing.

OTOH ... the state is allowed to use force to collect it's funding.

LWW

[Sev]

Its a shame.
However donations are voluntary.
The best way to change how the money is spent is to refuse to put money in the coffers.

They would be better served to donate unused funds to top rated charities or refund the money back to the donors.