Complaints about Obama drive 11 percent surge in Rep. Tiahrt's (R) office spending

[The Straight Story]

Complaints about Obama drive 11 percent surge in Tiahrt's office spending


In a year when he was saying government needed to tighten its belt to get through the recession, Rep. Todd Tiahrt increased spending on his taxpayer-funded congressional office by 11 percent, federal records show.

The 2009 increase included a 22 percent hike in personnel, which raised the payroll of Tiahrt's government office to slightly more than $1 million, according to the federal statement of disbursements.

A little more than half of the $196,000 of Tiahrt's increased staffing cost went to five people who also got salary and/or expense reimbursements for working on Tiahrt's Senate campaign, election disclosure forms show. Four of them recently were named members of Tiahrt's campaign leadership team.

Tiahrt spokesman Sam Sackett said the increased office expenses are largely a result of the election of Barack Obama as president, which inflamed constituents in the heavily Republican and conservative 4th District.

During the Bush administration, Tiahrt's office fielded about 50 to 60 calls a day. Now, it averages more than 200, Sackett said.

"We saw that spike with the election of President Obama," Sackett said. "We had to employ a number of people to answer phone calls."

http://www.kansas.com/2010/03/31/1248716/tiahrts-spending-on-his-office.html

[Rex]

1. So you never answered phone calls, until Obama got elected?

Sounds like The Hidden Hand of Obama stikes again! Dam...that guy is everywhere!

[damntexdem]

2. Toddy is such a tool -- even worse than my Repuke congressman down here in Texas.

The real story is given away in the report: Toddy wants to be senator.

And it was the traditionally-moderate 4th Kansas district -- Dan Glickman's old district before the rout of 1994.