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Elliott_Davis's Blog

by Elliott_Davis from St. Louis

Last Post 12 days, 17 hours Ago

Free Gas For Alderman

Jul 6, 2008 | 10:46 PM
Category: News

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Here's one I had trouble believing.

I'm doing a You Paid For It on Monday on a St. Louis City Alderman who wants a special gas allowance for alderman.

Consider this.

It's a Part time job. Alderman have once a week regular meetings.

You paya them $30,000 a year . Plus a $2,400 a year expense account.

Now because of the rising cost of gas Alderman Charles Quincy Troupe thinks you should kick in a few hundred extra dollars a month for them a special gas allowance.

Excuse me. This while citizens are struggling with trying to gas up their cars to get to work..we're supposed to kick out more of our hard on dollars for Alderman to get to their part time job that we're paying them a salary for.

And the alderman says you should want to fill up their tanks.. Where as taxpayers just have to suck it in..and cut corners it's amazing how officials always think of you when it comes time to pay more..

This story airs Monday night at 9pm..

23 Comments | Add a Comment

Jul 6, 2008 | 11:18 PM

What a joke! What does that $30K per year go towards? How many meetings (both committee and council) does this add up to and what type of expenses would a part time Alderman incur?

Again, I say remove all incumbents from office and stop voting party lines - see who you trust at candidates forums and then decide. It's a matter of life or the poor house!

mr_wildflower

Jul 7, 2008 | 5:43 AM

We Pay and they Play.......

It's called Democracy....... " Right "

dannbetty

Jul 7, 2008 | 7:32 AM

If we ever have a rope shortage I'll bring some to the next meeting.

Flaglady

Jul 7, 2008 | 8:05 AM

I am not saying Alderman are not being overpaid, I don't know. The job maybe part-time, meeting only once a week but I would like to know and will the story ask what does an Alderman do besides the once a week meeting? Do Alderman do a lot of running around meeting with people in their district? How much time a week do they spend? Do Alderman have to account for the time and gas spent?

AnswerMan

Jul 7, 2008 | 8:30 AM

I think it's a little too much money even if they do run around speaking with constituents. They are not accountable for their time so if they run into a few people per week does this count as a "meeting"?

What I do not understand is the expense account. They know going into the job that it'll take up some of their time and gas therefore an expense account is the "fat". Someone in a committee needs to prove to the citizens of St. Louis that they are not there to gouge their residents and remove that expense.

Overall, most City Councilmen (aka: Aldermen) are underpaid whether overworked or not - underpaid. The St. Louis Aldermen might be overpaid a bit.

mrmgrady

Jul 7, 2008 | 4:32 PM

Why don't we do it the "Democratic Way?" Let us have a City-Wide Referendum and ask the voter/taxpayers if they would like to relieve themself of the extra burden of carrying around too much money!!!

fbca7

Jul 7, 2008 | 4:42 PM

Keep the hammer down Elliott...you are the ONLY newsperson that goes after the waste.

noitisoppo_ad

Jul 7, 2008 | 7:57 PM

Maybe he should get a Hybrid... He can have the gas as long he can take me to work and to the grocery store!

asmerelda

Jul 7, 2008 | 9:36 PM

Elliot you are the best

He needs a stroller and someone to push him LOL

If I have to pay then he needs to pay

What makes him sooooooo special

Do we not pay the same taxes???????????

JustCurious49
Jul 7, 2008 | 9:40 PM

We the tax payers should have all government employee's pay cut 15% like other companies have done to their employees this year.

Why should they be treated different than us. They get paid to much any way.

I don't think that the tax payers should have to pay for any of their gas expenses, we don't get our gas paid my our boss. Its all apart of the job.

Chickenkiller

Jul 8, 2008 | 1:28 AM

after robbing the funds for Midnight Basketball it only figures that this scheme would be next on their agenda.

A better one would be the St. Peters aldermen who voted themselves free healthcare for life.

noitisoppo_ad

Jul 8, 2008 | 11:27 AM

Troupe called 30,000 dollars 'chump change', I wish he would tell my employers that. I have to live on chump change. If you ask the people who put him office I bet 99% of them live on chump change.

mrmgrady

Jul 8, 2008 | 3:19 PM

$30,000 is more than I make with SSD and my part-time job!!

If I marched up to my manager and demanded money for transportation, he would laugh me out of the office and out of the job!!!

How dare Troupe demand money for gas. He should tighten his belt like his constituents when it comes to driving his big 'ole Caddie!!

FREEDOMFREE

Jul 8, 2008 | 6:22 PM

CANT WAIT , TILL THE VOTE FOR FREE??

READING FREEDOMFREE??

THE DAY FREEDOMS FREE , IS COMMING SEE ,

SOME ALREADY HAVE , THE DAY FREEDOMS FREE .

Vacuum-Cleaner

Jul 8, 2008 | 7:35 PM

JUST PLAIN STUPID!!! We are struggling to buy gas for our cars and I don't like the idea of paying for an elected official's gasoline. Maybe it's is time for our elected officials to give up their cars and try the bus for a change. Charley Dooley rides it everyday to work.

greeneyes68
Jul 8, 2008 | 9:56 PM

Hmmm... $30,000 a year plus $2,400 expenses divided by 1 meeting a week/52 weeks = $623.08 per meeting. So even if they do other meetings, say another 52, we would still be paying $311.54 for a few hours of their time each week. I volunteer with recovering homeless people and I certainly don't believe they would think this was "chump change" for a part-time job!

How about some bus tickets? I'm sure we could scrap some of those up for this "chump"!

mincooper

Jul 9, 2008 | 7:46 AM

AGAIN WASTE. I loved how he said that 30,000 is nothing these days. yeah tell that to a homeless person. thanks Elliot for exposing this.

Ameskp

Jul 9, 2008 | 10:25 AM

I think he will miss his Chump Change and expense account after the next election...

Babujai

Jul 9, 2008 | 4:05 PM

Does the alderman have a full-time job? Another part-time job? How much does that pay?

StateStreetHeaven
Jul 9, 2008 | 6:06 PM

You gotta love the fact that they just voted themselves a fat raise, and then snuffed the most recent paybill that would have given the regular city employees, police, and firemen a cost of living increase.

I think we could all do without 28 aldermen, Since thats the same number the city had when the population was 850,000.

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Elliott_Davis

I'm a reporter at Fox 2 News, specializing in investigative journalism with the 'You Paid For It segment'. I'm also a weekend anchor and reporter. I'm a St. Louis native, graduate of Vashon High School, Cornell University, and the father of a teenage daughter. I enjoy reading, chess, and exposing public officials wasting your money.

Member Since: 9/13/2006

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