Lawmakers Meals

Fritz the Cat

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This whole business stems from a group claiming they wanted to limit influence. North Dakotans for Public Integrity. Many North Dakota orgs plan functions for legislators which includes food. The food is donated or free to legislators. ND for Public Integrity spent over a million getting the signatures and advertising to the public to vote for Constitutional Measure one in 2018.

One of the provisions says donors cannot spend more than $200 for a buffet for legislators. Anything over 200 bucks is a no no. So now we cannot attract our legislators to our functions with food or any other lures over $200 bucks. Sans legislators. An ethics commission was created and even a whistle blower hotline in case anyone spends more than 200 bucks trying to visit with your representative.

So who funded the ND for Public Integrity? Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the Park Foundation, the Rosenthal Family Fund and George Soro's Tide Foundation.

These people and their foundations want to keep your money out of politics so they can sneak theirs in.

And I don't what say about the round headed writer who wrote this hit piece. Free feasts. Scoff scoff. The writer is trying to get that green eyed monster to come out of people.

I have personally donated and attended some of these functions and it is a very good way to meet and greed all the Senators and Representatives or at least the ones who attend.

This writer writes legislators are used to fancy meals from lobbyists. What an asshole. I'll bet Rep. Kempenich is seething. He got sound bited.
 


raider

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typical union move... work your ass off to get a job, knowing the pay scale and benefit package - get the job - then a week later, go on strike to renegotiate...

go pound sand and quit... there will be plenty pf people dying to replace you...
 

NDwalleyes

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Come on guys, writing bills to allow for pink hunting clothes makes a person hungry. Us peasants must feed the Royals!
 

Reprobait

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Money shouldn't buy access. They can send a shitty e-mail like the rest of us do.
 

Kurtr

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So what I got out of that article is term limits. Why had that guy been there getting fat since 1993? Same problem down here.
 


Fritz the Cat

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You guys are probably right. All these free lunches for politicians should come to an end, period. I'm spoofing now.

http://congressionalsportsmen.org/t...us-lunch-and-reception-sets-record-attendance

[h=1]North Dakota: Sportsmen’s Caucus Lunch and Reception Sets Record Attendance[/h]Posted on Monday, February 11, 2019
By Nick Buggia, Upper Midwestern States Manager
On February 7, the North Dakota Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus hosted its Sportsmen’s Kickoff Lunch and Reception in Bismarck, which brought together a record attendance of nearly 90 legislators to support the state’s sportsmen and women.
Caucus Co-Chair Senators Eran Oban and Jessica Unruh and Representatives Todd Porter and Corey Mock welcomed legislators and representatives of the sportsmen’s community.


“This is our first year hosting this event, and I am encouraged by the strong legislative attendance. It speaks to the important role sportsmen and women play in North Dakota’s economy and is a testament to our strong outdoor heritage,” said Rep. Mock.
Later that evening, legislators and fellow sportsmen and women gathered for a reception and discussed legislative priorities for 2019. This provided an opportunity for representatives of the hunting and fishing conservation community to meet with their elected officials and build working relationships on behalf of North Dakota’s natural resources and outdoor heritage.


Last year, North Dakota sportsmen and women contributed more than $26 million to fish and wildlife conservation through the American System of Conservation Funding.


Sponsors of the event included Ducks Unlimited, National Wild Turkey Federation, North Dakota Bowhunters Association, North Dakota Wildlife Federation, North Dakota Chapter of the Wildlife Society, North Dakota Natural Recourses Trust, Pheasants Forever, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
 

BP338

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This is how pork spending starts. IMO, this is how they start to fill their pockets with tax payer bling bling. The position of an elected public servant should be more voluntary than lucrative...Not that they can't receive support when absolutely needed, but they should be everyday Americans first, with jobs and families and values, and politicians last...I'll support them while in session. I'll support a bill that secures their jobs when in session. But their position should be to serve the people of North Dakota...not leech off of them.

Getting too comfy IMO...time for changes all around!
 

Retired Educator

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A lot of jobs have a meal allowance and pay mileage when the job requires travel. The idea of such a provision does not bother me as it seems that there is already some sort of plan for this with the housing allowance, etc. What bothers me is the idea of someone complaining about no longer being able to "be bought" by someone who wants their vote on some issue. At the same time I've learned to question what is true on the internet. Someone claims he/she said this or that. If those were Kemenich's exact words, that was a poor choice of words. If he were just suggesting the meal allowance needs addressing, that is different entirely.
 

PrairieGhost

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The people elected that I know are much more wealthy than the average citizen so I have a hard time believing the canned spaghetti story. That said I still dont mind a reasonable food per diem, rather than seeing the future hinged on a steak dinner. Lobbyists are simply a way for those who can afford it to buy a legislator. When I was still working for the feds I got $35 a day to eat while traveling. If we spent a couple months at a place they often had a trailer house set up and their was no food allowance because we were expected to cook for ourselves the same as we would at home.
 

RPNLPS

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They can pack a lunch and take some waders to wade through all there bull shit!!
 


NDwalleyes

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[MENTION=641]Jigaman[/MENTION] I stole this. Felt if fit the discussion!

127871161_3713201958718640_1527048821313007195_n.jpg
 

Migrator Man

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does your company buy yours meals when you are in the office? The capitol in Bismarck is their office I don’t consider it business travel. Where I work there is people traveling from all areas of the state to work. Some rent apartments nearby and some just endure the drive everyday, but non of them get their meals paid.
Most of their homes are not in Bismarck so that requires them to travel away from their home to get to work. This is really no different than my business travel. No way in hell I’m paying for my own hotel or food when I am traveling. One could make the argument that they get paid enough but essentially they really are not paid very well. Most people I know couldn’t afford to take time off of work and lose pay to serve in the legislature. Maybe this is why we have all of these gray hair legislators that have nothing better to do in their old age. Do we only want the wealthy and old/senile to represent us?!?! I say no
 

AaronJ

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Food per deim and travel reimbursement can be dealt with on taxes each spring. No need to pay them more each month. They signed up for the gig.
 

BP338

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Food per deim and travel reimbursement can be dealt with on taxes each spring. No need to pay them more each month. They signed up for the gig.


This ^^^^

Simply because they are working for the people. It is not a private company that has those perks. I have worked out of town and all I got was a per diem. It was barely enough to buy breakfast and part of lunch.

Housing would be easy, there are county/city housing in many places. I'd also be willing to support a homeless shelter with a soup kitchen where they can stay when they are in session. Two birds, one stone! All while staying humble and being good people!
 


espringers

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lol. in session they make $186/day = 5580/month plus the 1800 housing allowance... which is $60/day. so, i assume the housing allowance barely covers a hotel room. i don't know many folks who would leave there home and job for a couple of months and take a pay cut. 5580 is likely a pay cut for most of them and most of you/us. and they are probably living in a hotel since a fella can't normally rent a house/apartment for just 2-3 months every two years. a per diem seems logical to me. i ain't no fan of most politicians. but, its reasonable.
 

guywhofishes

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lol. in session they make $186/day = 5580/month plus the 1800 housing allowance... which is $60/day. so, i assume the housing allowance barely covers a hotel room. i don't know many folks who would leave there home and job for a couple of months and take a pay cut. 5580 is likely a pay cut for most of them and most of you/us. and they are probably living in a hotel since a fella can't normally rent a house/apartment for just 2-3 months every two years. a per diem seems logical to me. i ain't no fan of most politicians. but, its reasonable.


This stuff was originally a "volunteer to help make my community better for me and my family/neighbors" concept.

If it's the money that draws them into public service then they need to resign.

- - - Updated - - -

I made lots of sacrifices when I was in charge of raising my family.

If I had a heart for public service I'd make sacrifices for my "larger family" as well.

I am guessing those days, and men of honor and commitment, are long gone.
 

savage270

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lol. in session they make $186/day = 5580/month plus the 1800 housing allowance... which is $60/day. so, i assume the housing allowance barely covers a hotel room. i don't know many folks who would leave there home and job for a couple of months and take a pay cut. 5580 is likely a pay cut for most of them and most of you/us. and they are probably living in a hotel since a fella can't normally rent a house/apartment for just 2-3 months every two years. a per diem seems logical to me. i ain't no fan of most politicians. but, its reasonable.

While your logic seems sound, you are a little off base. First of all, I know of more than one set of snowbirds that rent out their house/condo to legislators while they are in Arizona for the winter. It works out well for both parties. I also know hotels give a pretty good break on price to legislators. If you know you have a room rented for approximately 80 nights, you don't have to charge full price. Plus, they go home on the weekends so they really only need a room for 20 or so nights per month. At your $60 example, that is only $1,200 per month. They are not losing money on the deal.
 

BP338

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We are debating whether or not to give politicians more money...Let's get creative with how they are fed and housed while in session. It shouldn't be about whether they should get more money, it should be about how they get less money so that we can keep our hard-earned money to support our families and community. Where is our money going and how can we be more frugal so we can do other, better things with it.

How can we spend less and depend more on the kindness of our community to see to the needs of our neighbors? Which would include taking care of our elected public servants...
 

johnr

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I serve on 2 separate boards, and receive zero compensation on either of them. I volunteer my time (which on one board is quite an extensive amount), and my resources to both. Not for any fame, or obviously any fortune, but because they are both business that I believe in, and give to our community. I would not expect someone running for office to go broke once elected, nor do I only want a person who is wealthy to run. Its a fine line, but agree with [MENTION=337]guywhofishes[/MENTION] on the fact that it is for the betterment of our state and local communities, not the ego and pocket book
 


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