Our elected officials and their residence - where should they live?

[LynneSin]

Ok, you might know I've been on it big time about Rick Santorum not living in Pennsylvania. He, his wife and six kids have a lovely home in Leesburg, VA but uses an empty 2Bed/1Bath house in Penns Hills, PA as his residence. The big issue with Santorum was that he used the residency card when he first ran for the house almost 2 decades ago stating his incumbent opponent no longer lived in Pennsylvania and was "out of touch" with Pennsylvanians. Fast forward to today and now Rick does the same thing his former foe did so many years ago.

So my question is this - what is fair when it comes to our elected DC officials and their place of residence? Let's face it, Rick's Penns Hill home isn't more than 3 hours from Washington DC and yet the vast majority of senators & representatives live way much further than that. Are we to create a situation where an elected official must sacrifice home & family in order to represent us in DC or is there some happy medium that would allow our elected officials to do their job in DC, maintain a normal family life and still look like they have a real residency in their home state.

Democrats in Pennsylvania will use the residency issue only because paybacks are a bitch and Santorum opened that box first. But if Bob Casey were to win does that mean he has to also sacrifice his family in order to represent us? And what is the standard practice for those who travel several time zones in order to do their job in DC? Are they nothing more than a photo on the mantle above the fire place for their families back home to fondly remember them by?

This is not a Santorum thread but an open discussion about what is fair when it comes to residency. Only about 3 states have a real ability to live at home and work in DC (I happen to live in one of them - all my representatives here in DE take the train down everyday). But what do you feel is fair and not fair when it comes to residency for elected officials.

[MindPilot]

1. I actually think there should be a "barracks" in DC.

Reps should be from and live in the place they represent. Since even on a Senator's salary it is pretty difficult to say own a house in California and rent a place in DC.

In view of that and to prevent things like a defense contractor allowing a Congressman to stay on their yacht, I propose a publicly financed living facility near the capitol. I also think the taxpayer should pick up the tab for unlimited transportation back and forth between DC and the rep's home.

It would eliminate a lot of potential problems.

[theboss]

2. This was an issue with Robert Byrd....in 1984.

I'm not sure this dog hunts.

[Debi]

3. Several reps have small apartments near D.C. and keep the family

back home.

And then there are those who can afford to own two homes, and do. With their spouse and kids staying in the D.C. area during summer months or school breaks.

Members are SUPPOSED to go home to their Districts in the Thursday night-to-Monday night time period that Congress is not in session (I know, for a Senator that's a lot of road to cover - but that's what they ran for office for, right?). And then during the time that Congress in in recess.

However, as long as he 'maintains a legal residence' in PA, then he's following the rules. :shrug:

[LynneSin]

5. The Santorum issue really is about hypocrisy

Because Rick is doing exactly what he accused a house opponent back in 1990 of doing - living outside of the district and using 'empty house' as residence for back home. So I really wanted to take this issue outside of the Santorum arena and consider ALL elected DC officials.

[Debi]

6. I asked my husband about it and he said that Congress has dealt

with this issue over and over again and it comes down to one thing - If the voters are satisfied then who is Congress to complain? If the voters want a person who lives in the district, then they'll vote for the person who lives in the district. If the voters don't care, then they'll vote for who they want to represent them. :shrug:

[benddem]

4. the rep or senator

should at least pay taxes and vote in his/her district. The house he claims for a residence is a sham. Tell me how you could have 8 people living in a house with 2 bedrooms and 1 bath today. I know 50 years ago we lived in smaller quarters. I have a feeling Sanatorium is toast without this issue.

[CPMaz]

7. Build 'em a dorm

and a real college-style dorm at that - cinder block walls, block furniture, roommates, shared bathrooms, communal lounges, the works. All members (House and Senate) would be required to stay in the dorm while their chamber of Congress was in session. The only exemptions would be for those members that could commute from their districts daily (meaning VA and MD) and current members.

I think most members would actually go for this. Housing costs in DC for honest members are huge (Duke Cunningham found a way around that, but now he is living in a place that makes a dorm look like a palace. YES!! :) )

Yeah, I know it won't happen, but it would go a long way toward solving the residency issues (Santorum's not the only one. Rick Renzi (R-AZ1) bought a house in AZ just to satisfy district residency requirements. His family is from, and has never left, Virginia.)