This week, for the first time ever, the US House of Representatives released its full list of Congressional expenditures–a whopping 3,404-page document (9.4 mb pdf). According to CityBeat’s calculations, San Diego’s five members spent more than $4.2 million on official duties so far this year, including more than $1.6 million in the last quarter.
Surprisingly, Republicans weren’t exactly models of fiscal conservatism. While Rep. Susan Davis, a Democrat, spent the most ($1.05 million), Rep. Brian Bilbray, a Republican was second by only a few thousand ($1.02 million). Those two were followed by Republicans Rep. Duncan Hunter ($920,000) and Rep. Darrell Issa ($911,000), while San Diego’s other Democrat, Rep. Bob Filner, spent the least ($897,000).
The document includes Congressional salaries and while Davis spent the most on personnel this year ($797,598), Bilbray and Issa are the bosses who pay the best salaries to their chiefs of staff (approximately $42,000 per quarter compared to $38,000, $37,000, $31,000 for Hunter, Davis and Filner, respectively).
As far as travel expenses go, Issa cost taxpayers the most: $59,000 this year, including $28,000 last quarter, which was more than Davis spent all year. Davis, Bilbray and Hunter each spent around $60,000 this year on mail, while Issa and Filner each only spent a few thousand.
Here are some detailed breakdowns (rounded down to the nearest 100):
Susan Davis (Year to Date/Quarter)
Disbursements: $1.05 million/$369,500
Travel: $27,280/$9,400
Mail: $62,800/$39,100
Rent/Communication/Utilities: $74,700/$30,600
Staff: $797,500/$271,200
COS Lisa Sherman: $37,200 (quarter only)
*
Brian Bilbray (Year to Date/Quarter)
Total Disbursements: $1.03 million/$353,800
Travel: $56,400/$12,100
Mail: $59,200/$10,700
Rent/Communication/Utilities: $88,100/$37,400
Staff: $715,579/$238,000
COS Steve Danon: $42,100 (quarter only)
*
Duncan Hunter (Year to Date/Quarter)
Total Disbursements: $920,700/$316,500 Q
Travel: $37,900/$12,700
Mail: $54,300/$22,000
Rent/Communication/Utilities: $54,300/$23,300
Staff: $640,200/$219,400
COS Victoria Middleton: $38,700 (quarter only)
*
Darrell Issa (Year to Date/Quarter)
Total Disbursements: $911,500/$335,600Q
Travel: $59,200/$28,000
Mail: $5,200/$2,600
Rent/Communication/Utilities: $87,100/$42,000
Staff: $694,600/$237, 300
COS Dale Neugebauer: $42,100 (quarter only)
*
Bob Filner (Year to Date/Quarter)
Total Disbursements: $897,300/$303,400 Q
Travel: $52,700/$23,900
Mail: $2,500/$990
Rent/Communication/Utilities: $79,900/$32,200
Staff: $684,800/$221,000
COS Tony Buckles: $31,300(quarter only)
Props to Steve Terrell for alerting me about this report.
Attorneys in the Jovan Jackson case put their last, best arguments to the jury this morning, which should mark the end of the week long criminal trial of the proprietor of the 1,600-member Answerdam Rx medical marijuana collective.
