Comments on Advance Indiana™: Lugar Residency For Voting Purposes Based On Backroom Politics Rather Than The Law

The Internal Revenue Code also allows Senators and...

2012-03-15T06:53:42.317-05:00

The Internal Revenue Code also allows Senators and Representatives a deduction for their Washington living expenses, which specifically references their residence within their states for purposes of the tax break. They make $174,000 a year, and we pay for their expenses for commuting between Washington and their home states. In Lugar's case, he is billing taxpayers for his lodging expenses when he returns to Indiana. Presumably, he's also taking a deduction on his McLean, Virginia home for any interest or real estate taxes he's paying on that home.

There is a side to this that is consistently overl...

2012-03-15T06:26:34.358-05:00

There is a side to this that is consistently overlooked. Tom Rose defending Lugar to a caller when subbing for Garrison recently had, as Glenn Beck says, "blood shooting out of my eyes" when talking about the expense of maintaining two homes and whether that would be fair.

It's an elected Federal Government legislative position! They aren't supposed to be so doing so much that it requires them to live full-time in D.C. They should be going there, debating and voting on the 5 or 6 or 8 things they need to and then get back home. Not working on 3,000 or more bills - some of them 2,000 pages long. Not adding 60,000 regulations a year or helping spend $4 trillion.

Absolutely terrific, Gary. You're exactly rig...

2012-03-14T23:11:54.031-05:00

Absolutely terrific, Gary. You're exactly right. I couldn't begin to articulate the issues as well as you do though.