Bosma To Fine Boycotting Democrats(Indiana Fleabaggers)

The Indy Channel/AP ^ | March 3, 2011

[digger48]

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana's Republican House speaker said Thursday he's ready to start issuing fines of $250 against boycotting Democrats.

Most of the House Democrats skipped Thursday morning's floor session, extending their stay at an Urbana, Ill., hotel to an 11th day and preventing legislative action.

House Speaker Brian Bosma announced he'd been told by Democratic leader Patrick Bauer that the boycotting members wouldn't return Friday either.

Bosma said he wants to fine Democrats who stay away from the Statehouse $250 per day, starting Monday.

Assuming 35 Democrats continue to avoid attending, it would add up to $8,750 a day, in total.

"I would not want my name listed in the clerk's records of the Indiana House and the House Journal for posterity. It would very clearly describe the actions that have been taken and the cost to the taxpayer," Bosma said.

[digger48]

http://http//www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/politics/whats-the-cost-of-democrat-walkout

Democratic State Chairman Dan Parker says he is sponsoring the House Democrats’ stay at an Urbana, Ill. hotel. Reached by phone in Washington, D.C. Parker said he is paying $2,500 a day. He says he’s received online contributions to help pay the cost and may solicit more.

Parker says he will pay the bill for as long as it takes. — WISH-TV

[digger48]

Don’t forget to FReep the poll at the site.

Dems losing this battle bigtime. Even the comment sections on local liberal rags and newsites are running 5-1 against the Dems on this.

[sinanju]

Tomorrow’s headlines today:

“Gov. Walker to hire Duane “Dog” Chapman to round up stray Senators.”

[Pontiac]

Reached by phone in Washington, D.C. Parker said he is paying $2,500 a day.

So is this Dim Party money or is Parker fabulously wealthy?

[farmguy]

Democratic State Chairman Dan Parker says he is sponsoring the House Democrats’ stay at an Urbana, Ill. hotel. Reached by phone in Washington, D.C. Parker said he is paying $2,500 a day. He says he’s received online contributions to help pay the cost and may solicit more. Parker says he will pay the bill for as long as it takes. — WISH-TV

How can elected officials accept money like that? Sounds like bribery to me.

[Pontiac]

Democratic Rep. Kreg Battles of Vincennes said threatening fines won't help resolve the dispute over education and labor bills that prompted the boycott.

It is pretty hard to resolve a dispute if you’re not even in the same state let alone on the house floor. You can’t debate if your not there.

"This seems just to be one decision in a series of decisions that continue to divide instead of draw together. And, at some point, we're gonna have to stop the madness," he said.

How are you working to bridge that divide by running away? You can’t cross a bridge if you stay on the other side of the river.

[hoosierham]

The Democrats are on a wildcat stroke that has the operations hut down;they ought to be fired and replaced.

$250 is paltry fine;many ordinary people can be assessed much more for failure tp comply with government orders;$25,000 per day would be fair.

[digger48]

http://www.indianabusinessnews.com/main.asp?SectionID=31&SubSectionID=120&ArticleID=58766

Q & A on the Indiana House Democrats’ walkout

Q: Are the Democrats getting paid? Who is paying for their hotel?

A: The House Democrats are being paid their regular salary and daily expenses, known as a per diem. State legislators earn $22,600 a year, plus $155 for every day the legislature is in session, from mid-November until April 29, regardless of whether the House meets. So yesterday all 100 Representatives were paid their $155 per diem even though the House didn’t meet and rarely meets on Sundays. The House Democrats have promised to repay their per diem for every day they stay in Illinois. The Indiana Democratic Party is paying for the hotel, though some representatives plan to repay the party.

[pointsal]

Just curious....whose credit card is being used by the dimwits from Indiana and the cousins from Wisconsin....

[digger48]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2683298/posts

The $100-per-night bill at the three-star hotel is paid for by the Indiana Democratic Party, which has been soliciting donations to cover costs. Lawmakers say they will give back their spending stipend of $155 for each day they are out of state - not because they don’t deserve it but to show solidarity.

[Christian Engineer Mass]

“online contributions”

New way for dims to hide where the money is coming from

[EGPWS]

Barack Hussein Obama:

"It's working, I should have it wrapped up before election time."

[paulycy]

[Girlene]

How can elected officials accept money like that? Sounds like bribery to me.

Bingo. What's the gift tax limit on these politicians?
Dem. party sponsored stay? - then it's a political contribution for their reelection...... what are the ethics of this?

[KansasGirl]

The Rats will go down bigtime for this in IN. Not so sure about WI.

[timestax]

Bingo. What's the gift tax limit on these politicians?

I always heard that they could accept something in value like a coffee mug, or a T-shirt.

[Free Vulcan]

And after 30 days or whatever the statutory is, call the seat vacated and appoint someone to replace them.

[Girlene]

I always heard that they could accept something in value like a coffee mug, or a T-shirt.

I'm not sure what it is. Most private business has a fairly low limit - $25-50, whether anyone adheres to it or not.....there are rules. I did find this piece of information that was passed last year (I think with a democrat legislature.) 2010 Legislative Session Roundup: Indiana

Ethics: The Legislature made important headway on ethics as well by passing HB1001, which will require legislators who leave office after 2011 to wait at least one year before entering a lobbying practice, prohibits lobbyists from funding out-of state travel for legislators, and reduces the threshold for lobbyist reporting on gifts from $100 to $50, and requires legislative liaisons of agencies in the executive branch of state government and of state educational institutions to report annual expenditures.

[Girlene]

Found this little tidbit, Questions Surround Democrat Party Subsidizing Walkout

.........."Indiana Democratic Party Chairman Dan Parker disclosed that the state party is financing the walkout to the tune of $2,500 per day. That changes the nature of this action from a legislative protest to an organized and fully funded political campaign."........

............."Late this week, the party sent out a fundraising request asking Democrat special interests to pony up big bucks to keep Democrats right where they are. The question: who, besides taxpayers, is really financing this walkout?

This isn’t a frivolous matter. We have campaign finance laws for a reason. By mid-week, national unions with deep pockets had arrived to direct the protest effort in Indianapolis and other places around the country. Special interests, in this case labor unions, should not be able to donate money to the Democratic Party during the legislative session so that money can be passed through the party and used to support a legislative walkout that affects the issues those special interests oppose without any transparency or accountability.

Democrats may also have a campaign finance problem. If the Indiana Democratic Party is paying for hotel rooms for state legislators, that may have to be reported as an in-kind contribution to legislators according to the Indiana Election Division as explained in the 2011 Campaign Finance Manual. But legislators are prohibited from receiving contributions during the legislation session, which could include in-kind contributions for hotel rooms. The ban is in place to prevent groups and individuals from contributing money to affect legislative action during session. If it’s not a contribution as defined by law, then it is also not an expenditure that can be made by a state committee. Either way there’s a legal issue to resolve here.

[manc]

they all seem to love IL don’t they.

They are paid and elected to do a job. They lost an election so they need to live with it as this is the way the process works.

Now imagine the media if the GOP ran away from say MA because they are in a minority.
The media would go insane and attack, plus camp out , and follow the GOP reporting how they are not doing their job.