YOUR COMMENTS

To clarify a detail about legislators' mileage: a legislator only gets the 55cents/mile if he or she drives herself. If 4 reps from Keene carpooled, only one would get the mileage.

The theory behind paying more than the cost of gas is that there are supposedly other costs associated with driving. (I suppose Phillip from Haverhill's point is that today gas IS the only cost of driving. Car insurance apparently is free; present-day tires don't wear out; present-day cars never need to be repaired; oil is free, etc. I don't know if I agree with his assessment.)

There is alternatively a state plan which pays the legislator at a lower rate just for being in Concord. This is intended for those who stay overnight rather than driving back and forth every day.
- Timothy Horrigan, Durham, NH

I don't believe in-state travel reimbursements are an entitlement - I believe it is necessary considering the job conditions. If you get a normal job that is a long distance away from your home, you have the option of moving closer to that job. If you want stay put and do the long commute, that's your choice. If you're an elected official, you represent a certain area - you have to travel to fulfill that duty, you don't have the option of moving closer to Concord or you'll no longer live in the district you represent.

With that in mind, fairness is also a consideration - if there were no reimbursements, it would put undue expense on the representative from Pittsburg who drives four hours round-trip to Concord compared to the representative from Bow who has to drive twenty minutes.

The national conferences, though - those can go in my opinion - or they can just send one representative.
- Mike, Derry

I don't get reimbursed to go to work every day. It is time to end that entitlement.

I also agree with other posters here. Given our economic crisis, they should be using teleconferencing to attend these conferences or not go at all. Taxpayers simply can not afford it.
- Lisa, Plaistoq

You voted them in so, blame yourselves.
Oh, you didn't vote for them?
Okay then, what support did you lend to their opposition? Did you canvas any neighborhoods on your candidate’s behalf? Make any phone calls to drum up support? Attend any townhalls or rallys your candidat held?

Be part of the solution next round. Get out and help!
- Craig, Manchester

PS to Sue--It's funny how it is always everyone other than lefties who needs to bite the bullet and accept change!

I don't doubt that both those issues had support within NH. But multi-state campaigns were the driving force to raise those issues to the top of our legislative agenda. There are 30 states pursuing equality of education funding through lawsuits. A legislator at a conference who favors the goal learns the ploys that have been most effective in other states. --All well and good, but it's not too much to ask that they do their scheming on their own dime.
- Spike, Brentwood NH

At $0.55/mile, a rep from Keene to Concord and back (about 120 miles) equals $66/day.
Who says that our reps do not receive compensation? And what if 4 reps ride in the same car, would that equal $480?

A former rep, in response to my question as to "....how can you read every bill that is introduced?" "We don't read them, we have our leaders do and tell us how to vote..."

If that is true, let's reduce our legislator from over 400 to ONLY the leaders(40 or so??)! Think of how much we save from mileage only!!!!!
- E.R., Jaffrey

the state is paying $.55 a mile and the avg car gets about 25mpg so the math on this is every 25 miles it comes out to $13.75 and gas is at $2.60 and profit in there pocket is $11.15 of tax payers money..
- phillip p, haverhill ,new hampshire

The state is paying $.55 a mile.the avg mpg car gets 25mpg .There getting $13.75 per 25 miles and gas is $2.60 a gallon there getting a profit of $11.15 in there pocket.HMMM were is the math in this one
- phillip, haverhill

Spike,

You need to realize that everyone has a right to our opinion just as you do yours.

There is nothing wrong with visiting other states to talk about a larger national agenda and to learn from what others have tried. You say that the legislators came back with a gay agenda that they didn't have before? How do you know? I know so many people straight and gay who were happy to see this issue addressed. It's a bit scary when you suggest they should just stick here like they should never venture outside our borders for fear of being influenced by someone else.

And before you tell me to go back to MA or move away...I was raised here and love living here...wouldn't want to live anywhere else...

However, there are many people like myself who feel as I do and vote as I do and I think you will notice that as demographics change so do the public opinions.

Change is hard but you need to remember you live in a state with a million other people of all ages and all backgrounds.
- Sue, Bedford

The Republican leader is criticizing lawmakers for travel expenses two months after taking a taxpayer-funded trip to Philadelphia? That's rich.
- Dan, Manchester

Democrats run wild.......no surprise. These trips are for the most part just "state paid vacations". With today's technology these reps could "learn" what they need from their computers without going to Vegas for a week. Yet we keep moving toward Massachusetts-style government here in NH......sad.
- Jay Collins, Laconia

I can think of very few instances where the travel described in this article is a "need" rather than a "want."

Let them vacation on their own nickel.
- DP, Manchester

Right, Kevin; it's easy to conduct a "public policy conference" within one's own district. Norelli urges members to economize, but members know the loot is already stolen. When did travel-on-the-arm ever became a re-election issue?

Leaving NH to learn about national issues comes at the expense of issues of importance to constituents. The recent preoccupation with educational "adequacy" and special rights for gays were set more by a "national agenda" than a home-grown groundswell. Reps learn at conferences to force NH into step with states like Mass.
- Spike, Brentwood NH

Why is there ANY state budget for legislators to travel out of state?

Our reps should be concerned with what happens in NH, not what happens in other states. If some political party wants to sends its elected members to out-of-state conferences, that party should pay for the travel, not the taxpayers.
- Kevin, Lancaster

I'd like them to travel more - on one-way tickets.
- Leo, Canterbury