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Daschle staffers to get severance
Rapid City Journal.com ^ | 12/02/2004 | Denise Ross

Posted on 12/02/2004 2:14:18 PM PST by KeyLargo

Daschle staffers to get severance

By Denise Ross, Journal Staff Writer

The U.S. Senate unanimously approved two months' worth of severance pay for the employees of Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., in the wake of his Nov. 2 defeat by Republican John Thune.

As one of their last acts before they adjourned in the early morning hours of Nov. 21, senators voted to change the rules governing the chamber to provide the severance pay and benefits package, which is expected to cost taxpayers at least $656,480.

Such severance packages have not been extended to staff members of defeated senators in the past.

Daschle has about 80 employees at his South Dakota field offices, his Senate office on Capitol Hill and his Senate minority leader office in the Capitol itself.

The $656,480 estimate comes from multiplying the estimated number of employees eligible for severance by two months' worth of the average annual salary — $49,236 — of a Senate employee. The cost of benefits has not been figured in.

That average salary comes from a 2001 report released by the Congressional Management Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization in Washington, D.C.

The severance pay will begin after Thune is sworn in Tuesday, Jan. 4.

The severance package is the result of Senate Resolution No. 478, a rule change that amends earlier resolutions granting similar severance packages to employees of senators who die while in office or resign.

The resolution grants severance pay to employees of all senators defeated in an election, but this year, only Daschle fits that category.

Under the resolution, such severance pay will be granted in the future to the staff members of defeated senators.

Aides must have worked for a senator for a minimum of 183 days to get the severance package. According to The Hill newspaper, severance payments would stop after eligible staffers get new jobs.

In addition, The Hill reported that the rule change "applies the benefit to the Senate's president pro tempore emeritus, a title created for Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), who gave up the office of president pro tempore to Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) when Republicans regained control of the Senate. Byrd was able to maintain his chauffeur-driven Cadillac and a small staff when he assumed the emeritus post."

Contact Denise Ross at 394-8438 or denise.ross@rapidcityjournal.com


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: South Dakota
KEYWORDS: daschle
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To: KeyLargo

Ah, the Senate making a gift of taxpayer funds....and an on-going entitlement at that......inatspecial.....


41 posted on 12/02/2004 2:33:23 PM PST by anniegetyourgun
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To: Cobra64

Dashle was around for quite a while. At least some of his employees were as well, in all probability. Standard formula was a week of severance per year of service, right?


42 posted on 12/02/2004 2:34:22 PM PST by GSlob
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To: KeyLargo
Daschle has about 80 employees

Eighty employees!! Doing what?

43 posted on 12/02/2004 2:34:24 PM PST by ladyjane
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To: KeyLargo
Daschle staffers to get severance

One can always hope.

:)

44 posted on 12/02/2004 2:36:33 PM PST by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle (I feel more and more like a revolted Charlton Heston, witnessing ape society for the very first time)
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To: bushisdamanin04
Gee, wasn't Congress originally intended as a part-time gig? It still is. How many days a year do you take paid leave to campaign for your job?
45 posted on 12/02/2004 2:37:04 PM PST by River_Wrangler (Gun powder for me and a beer for my horse!)
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To: iceskater

Not only that, they have two months' notice that they'll be out of a job, why do they get severance for that? In the real world, you get severance because the loss of your job is very sudden.


46 posted on 12/02/2004 2:37:51 PM PST by rabidralph (George W. Bush, the other Body Hammer)
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To: KeyLargo

Why doesnt Dan Blather do a 60 minute piece on this theft?


47 posted on 12/02/2004 2:38:32 PM PST by sgtbono2002 (If God doesnt destroy Hollywood he owes Sodom and Gomorrah an apology.)
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To: KeyLargo

This is hillarious. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) fired her entire staff after winning (they can now re-apply for their own jobs). Her people would be better off if she'd lost!


48 posted on 12/02/2004 2:40:44 PM PST by The Old Hoosier (Right makes might.)
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To: KeyLargo
Aides must have worked for a senator for a minimum of 183 days to get the severance package. According to The Hill newspaper, severance payments would stop after eligible staffers get new jobs.

So, do we pay forever if they decide not to get new jobs?

49 posted on 12/02/2004 2:40:51 PM PST by Dianna
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To: KeyLargo
Technically, I'd say staffers already get two months worth of severance pay. They know their fate on the night of Nov. 2nd [ or later :) ] and their bosses don't leave office until January. That is more than enough notice time ... certainly more than is usual in the private sector. Any additional pay is simply a waste of taxpayer's money. I hope you all let your current and new (if applicable) Senators know that this is a crock and we expect to see correcting legislation introduced in the next session [ fat chance alert ].
50 posted on 12/02/2004 2:44:10 PM PST by NonValueAdded ("We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good" HRC 6/28/2004)
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To: KeyLargo
One last looting of the treasury...
for old times' sake.

51 posted on 12/02/2004 2:46:36 PM PST by Constitutionalist Conservative (Have you visited http://blog.c-pol.com?)
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To: ladyjane

$680,000
% 80 staffers



$8,500.00 each on avg.

Chief of staff much more, part timers/interns much less.

BUT as noted upthread, this is just the actual salaries, bet it's the TIP of the iceberg.....OUTRAGE!

Can we get a citizen petition / sue Congress for specific performance to repeal this NOW?!? Surely if Michael Newdow can sue Congress, so can we!


52 posted on 12/02/2004 2:48:02 PM PST by The Spirit Of Allegiance
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To: Dianna

Probably not much chance of Daschel's used staffers getting new work in DC right now....there's a bunch of used Rat staffers in line at the unemployment office.

dung.


53 posted on 12/02/2004 2:48:34 PM PST by Moose Dung (Soiling the Shoes of the Lunatic Left)
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To: KeyLargo
According to The Hill newspaper, severance payments would stop after eligible staffers get new jobs.

Yeah, right.

54 posted on 12/02/2004 2:50:15 PM PST by fuquadukie (If you can't hang with the big dogs, then don't jump off the porch.)
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To: wesdale
It's a bargain. Before the election, if someone had proposed $700,000 in taxpayer money for Daschle to stay home for good, anybody in their right mind would have voted yes.

Indeed.... Now, if we could "buy out the contracts" of a few more senators, maybe a couple of million dollars each... perhaps the taxpayers will come out ahead at the end of the day.

55 posted on 12/02/2004 2:50:30 PM PST by Constitutionalist Conservative (Have you visited http://blog.c-pol.com?)
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To: The Old Hoosier

Seriously? She did?

Wow, I gotta think not too many of those staffers are looking forward to re-applying to work for her!

I'm willing to bet a fair share of them were on her dad's Senate before he resigned to become Governor.


56 posted on 12/02/2004 2:52:16 PM PST by MplsSteve
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To: KeyLargo

I hate this socialist crap. Doesn't the house need to sign off on this taxpayer theft? Or are the lords of the senate allowed to steal as much money as it wishes?

I'd say this: "%^&7#$6&E^!!" but I'd probably get banned for a thousand years.


57 posted on 12/02/2004 2:54:00 PM PST by sergeantdave (Alas, poor Kerry, we know you well. That's why you lost.)
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To: sergeantdave

Wish you had not mentioned the House. I can see all the House members getting the same when they are defeated. Whatever illness politicans get when they arrive in D.C., they all catch it.


58 posted on 12/02/2004 2:58:36 PM PST by oflyboy
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To: sergeantdave

How about this? The Senate recoups Kerry and Edwards pay for the last two years for missed time spent campaigning. That $600K pays for the severance of the staffers.


59 posted on 12/02/2004 2:59:56 PM PST by Wristpin (Bloggers, forget your silly whim. It doesn't fit the plan!!)
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To: KeyLargo

The idea of severance is to help someone out of an unexected layoff so that he/she can get a new job. However, these staffers have known since 11/2 that they needed to get a new job, and there is therfore no justification for giving them any severance.


60 posted on 12/02/2004 3:02:10 PM PST by Rodney King (No, we can't all just get along)
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