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February 14, 2006 09:00 AM UTC

"If You Don't Like the Law, Change It"

  • 22 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

You’ve got to give House Minority Leader Joe Stengel this: He’ll defend his right to be wrong to the death. While Stengel didn’t technically break the law in billing taxpayers for working virtually every day last year, there’s a big difference between what you can do and what you should do. From the Rocky Mountain News:

House Minority Leader Joe Stengel billed taxpayers nearly $24,000 last year for working when the legislature was out of session. Stengel collected a check for working 240 days out of 247 days in the off- session, according to data compiled by the Legislative Council.

The next-highest bill for the off-session was submitted by House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, who worked 145 days and collected $14,355.

Stengel said he earned every penny. “I take this job very seriously,” he said Monday. “I work 24-7.” The Littleton Republican bristled at questions about the hours, which are considerably more than other leaders have submitted in the past two years. “I’m entitled to the money,” Stengel said. “If you don’t like the law, change it.”

The law allows the six legislators in leadership positions – three in the Senate and three in the House – to collect $99 a day in the off-session for attending to “matters pertaining to the General Assembly.” Those matters can be at the Capitol or off site.

The off-session days in 2005 were Jan. 1 through Jan. 11 and every day after May 9. Stengel took off only seven days during that time, for all of the major holidays, and said he worked each of the remaining 240 days. “The implication that I’m bilking the taxpayers is flat wrong,” he said. “I give 110 percent.”

House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, who billed for 145 days last year, said he was “puzzled” when he saw Stengel’s tally. Romanoff said he doesn’t charge for days not spent at the Capitol, and he didn’t charge last year for the days he was campaigning for the passage of Referendum C. Stengel, who opposed the ballot measure, charged for those days because he said he performed leadership duties every day. He said that most days begin at 7 a.m. and that he often is still reading legislative e-mails at 10 p.m.

All lawmakers receive $30,000 annually, plus a daily per diem when the legislature is in session from mid-January through mid-May. Lawmakers who live in Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Denver, Gilpin and Jefferson counties get $45 a day, while lawmakers from outside those nine counties get $99 a day.

In 2005, Stengel was paid his salary, $5,040 in per-diem expenses during the session and $23,760 in non-session leadership pay, for a total of $58,800.

(h/t to Colorado Lib, who has been following the story since it first appeared on Fox 31 News).

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22 thoughts on ““If You Don’t Like the Law, Change It””

  2. Even so, $30,000 a year is a ridiculous salary for the expectations of this position.  I think we should pay legislators more but close all lobbyist loopholes.  I would also end insurance benefits for all elected officials at the state and federal level. They should deal with the rising cost of private insurance and health care costs like the rest of us.  Maybe then they’d put their heads together and come up with some real solutions.

  3. if you gave them a staff the influence of the lobby would decrease greatly. Given the wide array of issues and the overwhelming number of bills that legislators are faced with it’s only natural that they would have to rely on occasion on data/information that a lobbyist they trust has provided them.

  4. This does not surprise me one bit.  I have seen Stengle talk many times and one cannot help but get the impression that he is purely in this for himself.

  8. Why hasn’t anyone mentioned that Stengel was out actively campaigning against Ref. C&D, while collecting STATE MONEY! He claims to have been studiously working, except for 7 days, outside of session…and how does this not violate Article 45?  He broke the law, took state money, campaigned on against an issues, and he still wants to the voice of the GOP.  What a creep.

  9. Joe Stengel is in Legislative Leadership and takes that role seriously. He’s working every day. Does anyone actually believe at $99 a day Stengel is “making” money in the position? He could easily make 5 or 10 times that outside the Legislature…but then we would be stuck with someone who couldn’t make 5 or 10 times that.

  10. Joe Stengel is in Legislative Leadership and takes that role seriously. He’s working every day. Does anyone actually believe at $99 a day Stengel is “making” money in the position? He could easily make 5 or 10 times that outside the Legislature…but then we would be stuck with someone who couldn’t make 5 or 10 times that.

  11. No, TommyT – I agree that in his leadership role Stengel undoubtedly works very hard, but if Who votes  (or others) can point to instances where Stengel is out and about the state campaigning for C&D instead of doing regular legislative work, then Stengel is in the wrong here.

  12. Others said:

    Even so, $30,000 a year is a ridiculous salary for the expectations of this position.

    Joe Stengel is in Legislative Leadership and takes that role seriously. He’s working every day. Does anyone actually believe at $99 a day Stengel is “making” money in the position?

    I do believe he volunteered for this job, did he not?  I do believe he understood what the salary was for this job.  If he didn’t like the salary, he shouldn’t have accepted the job.  Period.  If he’s in a financial bind, that’s his problem, not the taxpayers’.  No other legislator abuses the system the way he does.

  13. Aren’t we talking apples and oranges here by saying Romey thinks Stengel is abusing the sytem? I mean Romey’s parents are wealthy and by his own admission have been “helping him”. He doesn’t need the State’s check to stay afloat. Indeed for Romey this is kinda like a hobby with a check.

    Joe Stengel on the other hand is a regular guy. He has a family and a mortgage not tied back to mumsie and daddy. I think he is right, “if you don’t like the law, change it”. Because he is following the letter of the law.

  14. What a surprise.  When it comes the Republican Legislator’s salaries, Republicans are such a generous bunch.  Why can’t they be so generous with, say, education or health care spending?

  16. What a surprise.  When it comes the Republican Legislator’s salaries, Republicans are such a generous bunch.  Why can’t they be so generous with, say, education or health care spending?

  17. I’ll tell you another thing that really grates about this.  The law is clearly written to rely on the honor system.  Legislators are expected to behave honestly, and not pad their paychecks.  Problem is, not everyone is honorable.  Meet Joe Stengel.

  18. I’ll tell you another thing that really grates about this.  The law is clearly written to rely on the honor system.  Legislators are expected to behave honestly, and not pad their paychecks.  Problem is, not everyone is honorable.  Meet Joe Stengel.

  20. Joe’s a big joke. Under loser in the Webster’s you’ll find his picture!!!! As a Republican I was hoping we’d see his name on a statewide ballot, so we could bend him over and, well you get the picture!!!!

    Best of luck on your bar exam, Joe….not!!!!! Can you imagine that fool representing anybody????

  22. So Iron Mike, you are saying if you are not wealthy, you should be allowed to abuse the system for your own reward as much as you can? Well put. Moron.

    I think Pols summed it up well. There’s a big difference between what you can do and what you should do. Stengel is a self-serving prick.

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