I got a nice campaign mailer yesterday from my Conrgressman, Harry Mitchell. It was a classic campaign piece telling me what a great job he has been doing “leading in Congress” and “making [my] voice heard and doing what’s right …”.
But of course, as Espresso Pundit revealed with an earlier mailing, it’s not a campaign piece at all. It’s a use of the Congressional franking privilege, as is clarified by a small, statutorily required statement on the back — “This mailing was prepared, published and mailed at taxpayer expense.”
Here’s the irony — Rep. Mitchell tells us proudly that in Congress he is “A Voice for Fiscal Responsibility” because “there are better uses of taxpayer dollars than providing members of Congress a pay raise.”
I’m thinking he should just keep the pay raise and send promotional mailers on his own dime, not ours. Mitchell’s raise would cost us a lot less than paying for his campaign mailers.
