Sen. Elder Vogel (R-47th) and I agree about as often as the periodic cicadas, about once every 17 years. This, apparently, is our year.

Vogel was recently quoted in the Eagle as saying, “If you show receipts, it at least gives a little bit of a picture of what you’re spending in your per diems, as opposed to no accountability whatsoever.” Amen to that.

However, the notion promulgated by the Eagle that “Butler County state legislators used per diem perks less than their colleagues” is both damning and misleading.

Let’s first deal with the misleading items. Two Butler County representatives double or almost double the state average, Metcalfe and James. (And how can these two “conservatives” explain that?) Two slightly exceed that state average, Bonner and Mustello. Five come in under the state average, in four cases significantly under.

The damning part is that our per diem system is a joke. There is no accountability. Our representatives are handsomely paid. They make $88,610, in addition to mileage or travel outlays of 58 cents per mile. The latter is tax-free.

Pennsylvania legislators receive per-diem payments consisting of $177 per day during sessions. For the per diem, legislators do not have to submit receipts, and most don’t. That $177 per day works out to about $22 an hour: far more than many of their constituents’ hourly rate.

I don’t know about you, but no one compensates me when I travel for work. That comes out of my pocket.

Receipts are a bare minimum. There is another problem that makes the per diem a joke. Our state does not have a gift ban. So, lobbyists can, and do, gift our representatives.

Harrisburg is teeming with lobbyists and, if a representative so desires, they can be gifted meals and other goodies multiple times every single day while the legislators are in session. Pretty nifty, huh? Bill the state for $177 and then eat on the lobbyists’ dime and pocket the “meal” money.

Why are we rewarding handsomely-paid public servants with golden freebees? Get rid of the per diem, enact a gift ban, demand accountability and get these hogs off the public trough.

Michael Bagdes-Canning,

Cherry Valley