GOP Rep. Connie Mack IV gave his staff a parting gift as he left Congress in January: more than $61,000 in bonuses and raises.
In the last three months of 2012, the Fort Myers Republican gave 10 staffers raises totaling $29,720, according to a review of documents detailing expenditures for all House members. Individual raises in Mack’s office ranged from $817 to $4,417.
In the first two days in January, Mack gave bonuses to six staff members adding up to $32,050, according to records released last week. Those ranged from $667 to $9,356 each.
Mack’s term didn’t officially end until Jan. 3 when his successor, Republican Trey Radel, was sworn in.
Members of Congress commonly give bonuses as their terms end. Mack gave similar pay bumps in the last quarter of 2010. It’s especially true of departing members who want to reward staffers who loyally stood by them until the end.
But the practice is coming under increasing scrutiny given the growing federal debt and a long-running freeze on the pay of most federal workers.
Mack, who served four terms in the House, surrendered his seat after losing a bid to unseat Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson.
Mack often railed about government spending but said his staff deserved the financial reward. In an interview in December, as he was about to leave office, Mack defended the extra pay for his staff members.
“They work hard (and) they don’t get paid a lot of money,” he said. “They don’t get paid what they would get paid in the private sector. And we work them hard. They work long hours, and the day doesn’t end at 5 or 6 o’clock at night. If we can give everybody a bonus, we will.”
Emails this week to Mack and his former chief of staff, Jeff Cohen, were not returned.
Mack was one of the most fiscally conservative members on Capitol Hill.
He routinely voted against last-minute deals to raise the debt ceiling and avoid government shutdowns, saying taxpayers couldn’t afford them. His signature proposal, “The Penny Plan,” would have cut federal spending by one percent each year for six consecutive years.
Members are given an allowance each year to run their offices in Washington and their districts. The amount is usually around $1.3 million to $1.4 million and covers such expenses as staff salaries, supplies, equipment, utilities, rent, mileage reimbursement and communications with constituents.
Mack’s allowance for his last year in office was $1,435,888. He spent $1,110, 919. The nearly $325,000 he didn’t spend was returned to the Treasury.
Steve Ellis, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, applauded Mack for returning such a large part of his office allowance. Some departing members exhaust almost all of their accounts.
And Ellis said bonuses are not unreasonable.
“There is something to be said for rewarding those who are there to turn off the lights,” Ellis said. “It’s one of the ways you can reward the people who are with you to the bitter end, particularly considering it’s not going to be that easy to hop onto another job right away.”
But he also said lawmakers have to be careful about the practice.
“This isn’t their own business. This isn’t money coming out of Rep. Mack’s or any other lawmaker’s pocket. It’s coming out of the taxpayer’s pocket.” Ellis said. “And so they need to be good stewards of the funds.”
Author: Ledyard King
Original Publication URL: http://www.news-press.com/article/20130607/NEWS01/306070026/1002/RSS01/On-way-out-Mack-issued-parting-gifts?odyssey=nav|head&nclick_check=1
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