13th District Delegates: Scared and Sleepy March 7, 2008
This is from the ‘best of’ file, I get requests to re-post this blog entry at least a couple times throughout the year and with the article today on these guys AGAIN raking in the cash with lodging expenses (even though they live in Putnam county), I wanted to reissue it - enjoy!
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Did anyone see the Daily Mail article about Legislative compensation and expenses? There was an absolutely hysterical article by Justin Anderson.
Did you check out the comments from the 13th Delegate District’s representatives?
Holy cow, how would you like to be represented by these guys?
I couldn’t help but laugh out loud when I read their comments about why they were taking so much more in expenses than their Kanawha and Putnam counterparts.
Delegate Dale Martin lives in Bancroft about a 21.5 mile drive from Charleston (a whopping 26 minute drive). The other Delegate from the 13th District, Brady Paxton, lives in Liberty about 35 miles from Charleston.
Dale collected nearly $12,000+ in expenses, almost as much as Delegate John Doyle who lives in… Shepherdstown. (Doyle had $20,000+ in expenses, but $8,000 of that was for conferences.)
So, why did Dale collect a cool 12 G’s in tax-free money by staying in Charleston?
Dale commented, “You never know when you’re going to be able to get from one place to another,” he said. “It’s really tough. It can be really dangerous.”
Say what?
What can be really dangerous?
Is Dale worried about a drive-by traveling on I-64 between Putnam County and Kanawha? I know pretty much every day on 64 you hear about some sort of gunplay.
I know when I travel back and forth the one feeling I have on my drive… FEAR.
Or, maybe he was talking about the weather.
Really dangerous?
I don’t know, MAYBE if you lived in Buffalo, NY… but… Buffalo, WV?
I know those 60 degree days all through January scared the lights out of people traveling back and forth from Putnam County.
And, why does Brady Paxton stay in Charleston with his son, collects $115 in daily expenses (which he gives to his son for “rent” supposedly) along with mileage?
From the article…
He said when he was first elected in 2000, he tried to commute, but twice fell asleep at the wheel on W.Va. 34 and had minor crashes.One time he went into a ditch and had to walk to get someone to pull him out, he said. Another time he ran off the road and narrowly missed a tree.“I tried to do that because it was really hard just staying away from my family,” Paxton said. “Then I decided, what kind of hardship would it be if I died?”
If he…
If he…DIED?
Are you kidding me?
Did he really say this or is Justin just making this up?
What a riot.
Yeah… I mean, we lose at least one or two Delegates every year through driving accidents between Kanawha and Putnam county.
Think Bermuda Triangle, right here in West Virginia.
Look, maybe, maybe… you can justify the commuter expense. But, $20,000 in expenses for what amounts to 56 miles, somehow that seems a little pricey for Scared and Sleepy….
I’d say we offer them $5,000 apiece to stay home, they’d do less damage while at the Capitol, and they wouldn’t have to experience the always frightful trip between Putnam and Kanawha Counties.
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I got a kick out of these comments in today’s paper about now ousted Delegate Ron Thompson.
“This is the strangest thing that I’ve ever seen,” said Joe Brouse, chairman of the county party. “I’ve know Ron since college, and I’ve known his passion for politics and his passion for both counties in the district.”
“I don’t know that we have any other choice,” said Delegate Virginia Mahan, the senior member of Thompson’s 27th House District and a fellow Democrat. “It’s fair to the folks back home that deserve full representation.”
“This is inconsistent with the Ron everybody knew. We’re very concerned about him,” said state Democratic Party Chairman Nick Casey.
It’s quite comical how NOW all these of these folks are shocked and appalled at Ron’s behavior.
Needless to say, not a word was said by these three BEFORE the November election. In fact, all three strongly supported Thompson. Governor Manchin and Nick Casey were both in Raleigh County before the election stumping for the ENTIRE ballot, including Thompson.
Never mind that Thompson never showed up for any campaign events or even lifted a finger to campaign. These folks were all banging the drum for Ron, saying he was better than the five Republicans running. Of course, they were begging people to “pull the Rooster”, i.e. vote for ALL the Democrats.
Now, all of sudden, lo and behold, they are all shocked that Ron has never showed up.
You have to love the newfound outrage.
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19 Responses to “13th District Delegates: Scared and Sleepy”
Paxton and Martin have good reason to be scared — their district is slowly becoming Republican. The only rational thing for them to do in that circumstance is to grab whatever they can, while they can.
Obviously, the Democrat party needs to pull out of WV. After more than 70 years of ruling w/ an iron fist, it just is too dangerous. Mr. Thompson was onto something–much too risky to even show up for his job. We need to cancel funding of the WV Legislature, close down the state (some think that is already mission accomplished)and move to some more successful place such as Haiti.
Why are state workers not eligible for per diems if they don’t travel more than 50 miles on business (I believe that is correct) yet legislators are? I commend you and the others from Kanawha County who have collected nothing in expenses - KUDOS!!! I think the legislature needs to re-visit the “Charleston” issue - as McCabe and others want “Metro” government, let’s abolish the expense stipends for everyone along the i-64 corridor all the way to the State line…
How pathetic are Martin and Paxton’s excuses - I wonder how many of their constituents commute more than 20 or 35 miles a day without fear of “danger.”
And congratulations to Senator Vic Sprouse for not claiming a cent in expenses! We - the West Virginia taxpayers - appreciate that.
Vic, You are a simply brilliant guy as well as a great humorist. You make your points well. Ron Thompson is not an anomaly in being absent, as Tom Coleman attended only the opening day of the 2002 session as he was unable to speak and was being fed through a gastric tube due to a stroke. During his “campaign” that year, his supporters kept releasing reports about his phenomenal recovery from the stroke.Then, too, we saw Joe Ferrell collect his legislative pay without nmaking an appearance for a couple of years — and from a guy who made a deal years ago with prosecutors never to run for public office again. The Dems really put up a great slate every election cycle. When will WV wake up ?
Beware of the Blue Catfish !!!
Stay tuned for the exciting news.
from an emailer…
You would think these two gentleman are doing something differnt than almost all the people they represent - drive from Putnam Co. to Kanawha on a daily basis. I choose to live in Putnam Co. I don’t receive mileage and expenses to drive in each day and I don’t ever really remember feeling in “danger”. What a hoot. These guys keep getting elected because they are in the heavy union area of Putnam Co., but as a commenter said, this district is slowly turning Republican and if the people find out Martin is making almost as much in tax-free expenses as he is in salary, he’ll be out on his can.
Former Democrat Delegate Joe C. Ferrell was AWOL for the last four years, with perhaps an annual appearance or when a gambling bill was being rolled out. There was not a peep from his House Democrat leadership, from his colleagues, from organized labor, or from his political party. My guess is Ron Thompson’s replacement will have a litmus test: Do you support table games?
from an emailer…
If somebody gets elected to any office and then either refuses to serve or doesn’t serve (as with Mr. Sharp and Mr. Ferrell), they ought to be removed from office. People should have enough sense not to run for office if they have medical, mental, financial, business, or emotional problems. They know what is required of the job before they run. There is supposed to be a turnover in office. We don’t need “lifetime legislators” and good-’ol boys/girls. You can’t represent the people if you are not there.
I am a constituent of Paxton and Martin and I drive from Poca to Huntington to work everyday and this may be hard to believe, (gasp!) but I pay for my own gas and I even drive back home after work and I have never even fell asleep once. We need leaders in Charleston not career politicians.
Oh what fun to read! However I was very unaware of how dangerous West Va was! Seems as though my move here from Houston may not have been such a wise choice… My first time on this site.. It was great!
As someone who drives from Buffalo, WV into Charleston everyday, the scariest thing I encounter is drivers on cellphones.
[…] If it is constitutional for the House to instate citizens to the legislature and bypass the Governor, I’m going to start lobbying the House Speaker today. Perhaps he will kick out Delegate Dale Martin, who is terrified to drive, and replace him with me. With only one person to convince, the campaign just got a whole lot easier. […]
Vic,
I had said “Given the opportunity to serve the people of Putnam, Mason and Jackson Counties, I would not file expense reports for travel or vote for a pay raise. Too bad the people of my respective counties didn’t listen.
I know that God has a reason for everything that happens though. My husband was critically injuried in an auto accident just 3 1/2 weeks ago, (January 21, 2007) and I know the reason I didn’t win my seat is because God knew I would not be able to serve the people of my counties to the best of my ability right now.
Thank God Mr. Paxton only had “minor crashes”, makes me wonder if he was just really tired or what? Oh well.
Be Blessed Vic, I love reading you, sorry I haven’t been able to keep up much lately. Please keep my family in your prayers.
Thanks,
Penny Renee Dick
Go to the polls 13th District in the primary and general election, you have a choice this time.
The people of WV will wake up and stop voting for the likes of Ferrell and other Dems when the State Republican Party and Republicans in general start truly educating them on the issues and voting records, registering them to vote, and concentrating on candidate recruitment.
frustrated:
It’s tough to educate people that get their news from the Gazette and Channel 3.
Most WV voters vote as they we taught to by their parents and grandparents… “Democrats are for the working man”
Nothing is going to change until the older WV’ians die off.
Vic Sprouse hits the nail on the head over and over but unfortunately, it is a small audience.
In my opinion, it will take millions of dollars spent every year on TV spots, print ads and grass roots programs to change the WV mentality. The problem is that the money needed doesn’t exist on the Republican side, just on the Democrat side (ACT, AFL-CIO type money)
In reading this article and many others including the pay raise, I feel it is time to take a serious look at the candidates and look at what each Candidate has to offer the people of the 13th District and the State of West Virginia.
I loved Patty Schoen’s (a REPUBLICAN for god’s sake)excuse:
“I’m in the leadership and a lawyer.”
Oooh, a lawyer.
She lives in Scott Depot. You can hardly get to the interstate from there.
Yet another hog at the trough from our side.