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Cary Spivak &
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Posted on 03/01/2004 9:41:22 AM PST by Darkshadow
Cary Spivak & Dan Bice E-MAIL | ARCHIVE |
The bad part about being attorney general was pretty obvious to everybody last week: Get nailed for being drunk behind the wheel of a state car, and you're front-page news across the state.
But here's the good part: You get a free car, and you don't even have to reimburse the state for mileage when you drive up and back to your home some 70 miles from the Capitol.
At least that's the way it's worked so far for Peg Lautenschlager.
State records show that during her first year in office, Lautenschlager racked up nearly 20,000 miles on her state-owned 1999 black Buick Park Avenue for official business and to commute from her Fond du Lac home.
Total amount the state's top cop reimbursed the state: Nothing - not a dime.
Pretty sweet, especially for a state official who is paid $127,868 annually.
How does this work?
State rules require workers using government cars to reimburse the state for the cost of their commute. But when Lautenschlager took over as the attorney general in January 2003, her staff decreed that her headquarters was her home, not the Capitol. By doing this, any driving she's done in her state car is considered official business, meaning that taxpayers, not Lautenschlager, were liable.
"We consider Fond du Lac the headquarters city," said Paul Vornholt, a Lautenschlager spokesman. "There's no such thing as commuting (for the attorney general)."
Sure, this is an odd arrangement, but Lautenschlager's cronies say this was needed because you never know when the AG might be summoned to an emergency from her home.
"We look at our (Division of Criminal Investigation) agents as 24-7 responders, and she's the same," Vornholt said.
Yeah, that's right, the cops might have to rush to an outstate crime scene. And Lautenschlager - she could be summoned at a moment's notice for an urgent news conference.
The attorney general's unusual driving arrangement was brought to light last week when she was arrested for drunken driving after running her state-owned vehicle into a ditch while returning home from Madison shortly before midnight on Monday. She has pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated and refusing to take a blood test.
Lautenschlager, officials have said, won't be driving a state car any more following her conviction.
Incidentally, Lautenschlager isn't the only Capitol big-shot who lives outside of Dane County. Several of Gov. Jim Doyle's top aides - including his right-hand man and Mequon resident Marc Marotta and Department of Transportation boss Frank Busalacchi of Brookfield - drive their own cars daily to Madison.
They do not submit mileage reimbursement.
"He drives his own personal vehicle," said Peg Schmitt, a flack for Busalacchi, whose agency rides herd over about 20 offices - about three times as many as the AG.
Once in a while, Marotta and Busalacchi will each use state vehicles when they drive to the far reaches of the state.
In case you're wondering, neither has gone Lautenschlager's route and designated his family room as the department's HQ.
As for the attorney general doing just that, John Rothschild, the chief lawyer for the Department of Administration, diplomatically avoided passing judgment on how the state's top cop has cleverly exploited a loophole to avoid reimbursing the state.
"That would be one way of doing it," Rothschild said.
You might remember that $4,000 bribe paid by a lobbyist for Wisconsin Energy to a pal of then-Gov. George Ryan, the latest to join the list of indicted Illinois governors.
Turns out that the lobbyist, Arthur "Ron" Swanson, got his money back. That's right - apparently, Donald Udstuen, an adviser and longtime pal of Ryan, got nervous and returned the kickback.
Now there's one for Ripley's.
Who returns a kickback, especially one handed out in true Chicago fashion - in the bathroom of Lino's, a pricey downtown eatery?
The kickback of the kickback and a few other interesting tidbits were disclosed in a filing last week by the U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuting Ryan. The Republican ex-guv was indicted in December on 22 corruption counts.
The indictment contends that in 1999, somebody connected to Wisconsin Energy went to Udstuen wondering who the utility should hire to help as a lobbyist for a $160 million project. After discussing the matter with Ryan, Udstuen recommended Swanson, who was tight with the governor, the filing says.
Wisconsin Energy is not suspected of any wrongdoing.
The filing makes for some fun reading. But the documents left unanswered a question of great interest to the insiders up here: Just who was the unidentified guy tied to Wisconsin Energy who put it in touch with Udstuen?
The utility isn't coughing up a name.
"It's irrelevant to the investigation," said Wisconsin Energy flack Chris Iglar.
If I tried to pull this one on my 2106, the IRS would have me over a barrell.
How about a little equal application Mr.IRS?
You've forgotten that there are two classes of citizens in this country. Government bureaucrats and everyone else. Here are the rules in case you forget again: Armed bureaucrats (ie uniformed police and secret police) can kill anyone any time. Non armed bureaucrats may not kill anyone, but are not held accountable for any consequences to any of their actions (except killing someone). Periodically some bureaucrat may get a slap on the wrist for something that would send a second class citizen to jail, but thes instance are few and far between.
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