The downside to this would be what?
If employees at corporations broke these rules repeatedly, you can bet they’d be fired pretty quickly if they did not make restitution.
A journey of a thousand miles starts with a cash advance.
Now that's what I call a good start! mebbe Obama meant Hopey, Keep that Changey...and I agree, When Congressmen break the law by not returning unused travel funds, I bet they are also breaking the law by failing to report that money as income. Instead of writing your congressman, write the IRS.
“If that was the policy, you could never get many members traveling,”
That is the idea - to stop government hacks from traveling.
Again I am speechless at how out of touch these people are with the middle class. I hate these bloodsuckers.
Lawmakers who pocket the change would also include those at the local levels, and it would include staff members who go to seminars and/or training programs. Let’s also not forget that due to some reporting requirements, or non-requirements, booze, special shows on TV, etc., are being paid with tax payer dollars.
That IS the policy, according to the IRS. Per Diem not used for travel expenses ( and documented with a receipt) is income. This is why most companies reimburse expenses only. Of course, Congress doesn't have to follow the rules they've laid down for the rest of us.
just mo o’ dat dere Walkin’ Around Money dontcha know...
FIRE THEM ALL.
Claiming that I didn’t know the rules got me a verbal reprimand and some retraining!
$250/day may seem like a lot but I’ve been places where a buffet breakfast was $75.
In the long run it is usually best to grant the per diem and not spend the time and expense of accounting for the nickel and dime stuff. And yes, $100 left over after a week or two of traveling is still nickel and dime and there is more spent in accounting for the $100 than it is worth.
But those aren’t the rules and they should play by the rules.
My husband had a government cc and had to turn in receipts for it’s use or anything he spent of our money to justify his travel expenses. No receipt no no allowance and no reimbursement and they would not have reimbursed vases, rugs or paintings.
Sounds like Minnesota. We have one portly little legislator who leads all here in per diem and live about 2 miles from our state capitol.
(democrap, naturally)
Interesting, when I was in the AF, we were rarely, if ever paid our per diem up front. You could get an advance on your “expected” per diem, up to 80% iirc. Never lodging. You had to provide receipts for lodging, rental car, rental car fuel and anything over $75 that was an approved expense.
Upon your return, you then had to file a travel voucher that showed all of your required expenses, minus meals. Your final per diem amount was then calculated against that voucher. If you had taken an advance and were under, you got the difference, if not, you paid the gov’t back.
Many chose not to take the advance, lower ranks usually did because they didn’t normally have that kind of money.
Why is it so hard for these fools who enacted those rules I just mentioned to follow the same ones?
I know, because they’re “special”.
Neither do they have any business travelling anywhere in this country except between their district (notice I did NOT say "home" and Washington, D.C.)
These people think they are royalty and that things (including travel) are owed to them.
I have to plan trips to the grocery store.
Screw these elitists!
Per Diem is not considered income by the IRS as long as it is documented properly. I work on serval federal projects overseas, it has never been counted as income. The purpose of Per Diem is so that the IRS doesn’t spend money auditing expense reports.