Posted on 08/27/2003 6:50:01 AM PDT by Theodore R.
Cost of exile adds up for Democrats
BY LISA FALKENBERG Associated Press Writer
Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos passes up lunch at the Hilton for a $6 chili dog with sauerkraut. Sen. Eliot Shapleigh has asked the other two partners in his El Paso law firm to take on his clients while he's away. Sen. Leticia Van de Putte took a loan out on her life insurance policy to make up for lost wages.
In their 30 days of self-imposed exile, the 11 Texas Democrats who fled the state to block a vote on congressional redistricting have found their own ways of bearing the mounting costs of their political battle.
Van de Putte, chairwoman of the Senate Democratic Caucus, has estimated that the Democrats' stay at hotels in New Mexico for the past month will cost each senator about $5,000. Van de Putte and Democratic aides said the total cost of hotel rooms, conference rooms, Internet service and other costs is at least $100,000. They estimate legal expenses of $300,000.
"But that's a small price to pay, a very small price to pay for the objective that we're standing up for," said Dallas Sen. Royce West.
Even though the special session on redistricting ends Tuesday, the bills are likely to keep piling up. Gov. Rick Perry has vowed to call another session to consider redistricting and Democrats in turn are contemplating another 30-day exile.
Texas Democrats hold a 17-15 advantage in Congress, but Republicans say state voting trends indicate they should have more seats. So they want to redraw political boundaries.
Twelve Senators, including one Republican, voted against bringing up redistricting during the first special session Perry called. But during the second special session, Republican Gov. Lt. David Dewhurst removed the Democrats' blocking power by suspending a rule that requires two-thirds of the 31 senators to agree on bringing up a bill.
Democrats then broke quorum and left the state to avoid being arrested and returned to the chamber.
"It doesn't cost the taxpayers one penny for us to be here," Van de Putte said. "However, it costs the taxpayers $1.7 million every time Gov. Perry decides to call a special session. And we would hope he would use that on the real crisis in our state, which is public school finance."
But Republicans argue it's the Democrats who are wasting the state's money. They say Perry wouldn't have to keep calling special sessions if the Democrats would just come home and vote.
"The cost of all three special sessions should be placed at the feet of the Democrats who ran away and broke quorum rather than stay at work and represent their constituents," Dewhurst spokesman Dave Beckwith said.
Beckwith said he isn't sure how much each special session is costing, but he believes it's in the "six figures."
He said the state is also having to spend thousands of dollars in taxpayer money to defend itself against lawsuits filed by Democrats over redistricting.
"Whenever one side spends, the other has to match it," he said.
Democrats say they've been using their own credit cards to pay for rooms, meals, taxis, and other expenses, but they're depending on fund-raising efforts through the Senate Democratic Caucus to reimburse them for some expenditures. Van de Putte said the caucus has so far raised about $50,000 for the Democrats.
The Democrats are hoping to get a financial boost from the Texas Democratic Party, which is planning several fund-raisers, the Texas Democratic Congressional delegation, whose members are benefiting from the senators' exile, and other contributors. The United Steelworkers of America gave the Texas exiles $25,000 last week.
Van de Putte said she's been using a mixture of personal and campaign funds, but had to take out a loan on her life insurance policy. She said her bosses have worked with her schedule and some pharmacists have rearranged their vacations to accommodate her.
"The lost income is tremendous," said Van de Putte, a staff pharmacist at a privately owned San Antonio pharmacy and mother of three high schoolers and three college students.
West, a Dallas attorney, said he has had to dip into savings accounts to help pay for the stay in New Mexico, which he estimates will cost $5,000-$10,000.
"I don't even want to look at it, to be honest with you," West said.
Supporters have sent checks of $25 and $50 to his senate office, which help a little, West said. And he's planning on going ahead with his major annual fund-raiser during Texas-OU weekend "whether I'm there or not."
Shapleigh, of El Paso, said he plans to attend a fund-raiser on Thursday in Denver hosted by five Colorado senators who visited to the Texas 11 earlier.
Barrientos, of Austin, said he was late paying two car notes last week and his banker told him not to worry about it.
"I really thought he really meant 'don't worry about it as long as it doesn't take more than a few days' so I sent off some cash with my daughter," he said.
He says he tries to live frugally, taking shirts to the 75 cent hotel washer rather than the dry cleaner and avoiding pricey hotel meals.
08/27/03
"I don't even want to look at it, to be honest with you," West said."
ALERT!
ALERT!
Royce West made an honest remark!
Oh sure they would. Just look how tough they have been on the U.S. Senate Democrats "filibuster."
ALERT!
ALERT!
Royce West made an honest remark!
That's the good thing about as Democrat. They indicate the few times that they are being honest with you. You can assume that when they don't add "to be honest with you", they aren't!
These Dims are offending me. I don't like them. I am saying bad things about them........Guess what??? They DON'T CARE!
Why do MY cowardly GOP politicians care SO MUCH what their side thinks and says???
Last night Brit said that moveon would not guarantee the dims getting 'all' the money raised.
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