Press Releases
Share ThisJan 20, 2010
State Senator Dave “Pay Raise” Argall Racks Up Almost $10,000 worth of Tax Payer Funded Per Diems
While Pennsylvania Families Struggle, Argall Lines His Pockets with Tax Payer Dollars
While Pennsylvania families are struggling with skyrocketing unemployment and home foreclosures, State Senator Dave “Pay Raise” Argall has been lining his pockets with tax payer dollars. Yesterday it was reported that Argall has been raking in almost $10,000 in taxpayer funded per diems in less than one year, clearly showing that Argall’s priorities are only self-serving in nature. In fact, over the course of his time in Harrisburg, State Senator Argall has shown a blatant disregard for anything other than his own personal interests, beginning with his role as an architect of the 2005 pay raise scandal.
“To describe Senator Argall as ‘self-serving’ would be an understatement. Between his role as an architect of the 2005 pay raise scandal and the news of him raking in almost $10,000 in tax payer funded per diems, Argall has come to epitomize exactly what is wrong with Harrisburg.” said Shripal Shah, Northeast Regional Press Secretary for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “Clearly, Argall’s only priority is to line his pockets with as many tax payer dollars as possible, and that is downright shameful.”
“With voters looking to turn the page on the disastrous years of George Bush economic policies and ongoing scandal in Harrisburg, State Senator Argall should fully expect voters to reject his disgraced, self-serving record this November.”
BACKGROUND:
Argall collected almost $10,000 in per diems just last year alone. “The government watchdog group RockTheCapital.org said Tuesday that, between last March and September, Argall had billed the state for 71 per diem expenses totaling almost $10,000. Fifty-nine of those per diems, the group said, fell on days the legislature was in session.” [PA2010.com, 1/19/10]
Argall was one of the architects of the 2005 pay-raise scandal in Harrisburg. At approximately 2 AM on July 7, 2005, the Pennsylvania Assembly passed a pay increase of up to 34% for state lawmakers, executive-branch officials, and judges without any sort of public review; Argall was one of three State Assemblymen who introduced the bill and shepherd along its passage. [HB 1521, 2005 Regular Session, 7/07/05]
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