Right-wing lawmakers waste thousands on posh offices

The right-wing Kentucky legislature is at it again, as they've squandered hundreds of thousands of your tax dollars on fancier offices.

I guess you can expect this waste and incompetence from the beezlydolfs who enjoy hitting kids and putting your grandma in jail for buying too much allergy medicine. The way they went about it was especially arrogant: The legislature evicted important state agencies from the Capitol Annex so lawmakers could build larger offices for themselves. As a result of this, the evicted agencies had to rent space from private building owners, which will cost Kentucky taxpayers $400,000 a year - plus utilities.

The total cost will be even more. And that money's going to come from the state's cash-strapped general fund that had been saved up for emergencies.

What's more is, the new legislative offices will be used on only 30 to 60 days a year. The Kentucky legislature is part-time and meets on only 60 days in even-numbered years and only 30 days in odd-numbered years. The agencies that were evicted are year-round.

The state auditor was evicted too. Because of this, her staffers have to drive all the way across town to the Capitol 3 to 5 times daily and waste (ppphh!) gas.

Kentucky doesn't have enough money for colleges or health care, but lawmakers waste money on self-indulgent shit? The legislature's new budget actually slashed funds for schools and other public services, while throwing more money at this boondoggle, which includes a fancy lounge.

Maybe if the legislature would stop stockpiling beer in the rooms it already has, it would have more space.

(Source: http://polwatchers.typepad.com/pol_watchers/2008/06/general-assemblys-space-grab-brings-400000-in-rent-costs.html;
http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/gov2/2008/05/groob-hits-westwood-on-senate.asp)