Simple question - does EVERYONE in Alaska legislature collect per diems for home time?

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

Either this is accepted practice in Alaska or it is aberrant.

[shraby]

1. They probably get per diem for the time

spent in Washington because it's work away from their home.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

2. I was speaking strictly about Alaska state government . nt.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

3. kicking to see if anyone knows the answer. Common practice, or scam? nt.

[Blue_In_AK]

4. They all get per diems,

and it's not clear to me that there are restrictions. I recently did some transcripts of the trial of convicted state representative Vic Kohring, and it was mentioned that he made it a habit of sleeping in his office on the couch while he was in Juneau, even while collecting the $200 a day (I believe) per diem for lodging. Vic was always trying to play the financial victim -- i.e., hitchhiking to court during his trial because he didn't have a car and so on -- so that he could say that Bill Allen was just sort of helping him out as a friend, not really giving him bribes to change his votes. The prosecutor pointed out that with the $200 a day per diem that was not being used, he clearly was making a nice little chunk of change, in any event, and couldn't really be as destitute as he was claiming.

However, even though it seems kind of slimy, that was not a count against him in the indictment, and nothing was ever said about it, so I would assume that they consider it something like part of the salary to be used as they see fit.

I'll see if I can do a little more research on this in the statutes.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

5. I would think that they would get a per diem anytime they are on government business and

AWAY from home. That's just me and common sense speaking, I don't know if that is actually the case. The guy sleeping on the couch and collecting the per diem doesn't bother me at all if you view the per diem as a set allowance for lodging. He spent less (0) and kept the difference. I wouldn't make an issue of that either.

But with Palin, you would have to assume that if she is in Juneau she has use of the Governor's mansion and wouldn't be needing a per diem. If she is at HOME, she should not be needing a per diem unless she is being exceptionly cagey and pretending that being out of Juneau means she's away on government business even if she is going to her very own home by choice. I'm sure she probably has to conduct government business while she is at home, but no one is forcing her out of the Governor's mansion (I'm ASSUMING that there is a Governor's mansion in Alska).

Is she claiming the per diem for times when the Legislature is not in session?

I'll look harder to see if the answers are out there somewhere and if I find more info, I'll post it to this thread.

Thanks so much for responding - it is so great to hear from Alaskans

[Blue_In_AK]

6. This is a link to the statutes regarding compensation

in our government. I'm having a hard time deciphering some it. Perhaps there are some lawyers around who could figure it out.

http://www.touchngo.com/lglcntr/akstats/Statutes/Title39/Chapter20.htm

This is what it specifically says about per diem.

Officials and employees of the state agencies, while traveling on official business and away from their designated post of duty, shall be allowed, instead of their actual expenses for subsistence and all fees or tips, a per diem allowance to be prescribed by the commissioner of administration under the regulatory authority set out in AS 39.20.160 , and in consultation with the head of the agency concerned.


I don't know whether Sarah would be considered an "official and employee of a state agency," who would get per diem while "away from her designated post of duty," which I would assume is the governor's mansion. It sounds to me like this applies more to nonelected officials.

[Blue_Roses]

7. I went to this site the other day and had the same problem.

what is up with this? It doesn't explain...:wtf:

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

8. So fast! Thanks

By the way, there is already a thread about this topic with 115 recs in the LBN forum that I completely missed. So I am going to take myself there right now and see if some of those posters have more info. The Washington Post article linked to in that thread appears to be saying the the rules for the governor are pretty lax.

[Blue_In_AK]

10. I do legal transcriptions

The Alaska Statutes and Alaska Administrative Code are in my "favorites." I have to refer to them all the time.

[Blue_Roses]

9. that's what I would think...also, let's look at the taxes now

cause you can write per diem off and I would be interested to know how she did that