April 08, 2022 09:40 AM UTC

Jerry Sonnenberg Opposes Taxpayer Money Not Going to Him

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• by: Colorado Pols

On Thursday the Colorado State Senate voted on SB22-184, which authorizes paid leave for lawmakers in the event of a long-term illness, parental leave, or other situations subject to approval by the leadership of a member’s respective chamber. The bill passed through the State Senate by a vote of 32-2, with the only opposition coming from Senators Larry Liston (R-Colorado Springs) and Jerry Sonnenberg (R-Sterling).

Sonnenberg spoke on the Senate floor prior to the vote in order to explain his opposition. Here was his rationale:

SONNENBERG: I am old school, and I struggle with utilizing taxpayer dollars to pay for not working. [Pols emphasis] And I don’t have an exception for mothers and fathers regarding raising children. From my perspective, I struggle with it all the way around…

…Fundamentally, I struggle with paying somebody when they’re not doing their job. Thank you, Mr. President. I’ll be a ‘NO.’

It’s interesting to hear Sonnenberg say that he is so opposed to “utilizing taxpayer dollars to pay for not working.” He claims to “struggle with it all the way around,” but not if it comes back around to him.

Here’s how Environmental Working Group describes the federal farm subsidies program (all emphasis is ours):

The 1996 Freedom to Farm Act envisioned a move away from subsidized farming and into a free-market system. As a transition, the 1996 farm bill established a direct payment program to wean farmers off the government dole. Payments are based on a formula involving the historic production on a given plot of land in 1986. This set payment went to the current landowner or farm operator every year. The program has been maintained beyond its intended lifetime and became a federal entitlement program for farmers that cost the government about $5 billion per year. 

Sonnenberg is apparently still in the “weaning” stage of this transition, having collected at least $185,991 between 2016-2020. Sonnenberg will happily accept taxpayer money in the form of farm subsidies, but he draws the line at providing paid leave for lawmakers who only earn about $40k per year in the first place.