Dem Minnesota congressman grounded by new ethics rules

[karlrschneider]

This is some really dumb shit. :grr:

http://www.startribune.com/587/story/1010458.html

[napi21]

1. OK, so I have a question for the Congressmen with their own

planes. When you were reimbursed for your business flights, didyou get reimbursed on the cost of a commercial ticket or on what it costs YOU to fly your own plane?

The way I see this, the IRS rules of reimbursement should be used. So much per mile. No differentthan what is, or should be done,on reimbursement for using your car for business. Then if you find it more convenient to fly your own plane, and that convenience is worth you paying the extra operating costs, that's YOUR decision, the same as if one guy drives a Honda Civic and another drives a Lincoln Navigator. Both get reimbursed the same $$. One probably makes a few $$ and the other spends more than he's reimbursed, but it's a fair system.

[karlrschneider]

2. I would expect it would be mileage based. Since there are no

commercial flights between the small cities in his (indeed most) districts it would be difficult if
even possible to figure it any other way. It's been years since I calculated operating costs on
a small plane like that but it will get about 10 miles per gallon which amounts to around 40 cents
a mile nowadays. If they decide he's entitled to reimbursement, he isn't going to get rich on it
for sure.

[napi21]

3. I wasn'treally speaking about YOUR comgressman only. The article

said there were several who had their own private plane. I think they should be reimbursed for whatever mode of transportation they use, HOWEVER, I was a bit more concerned that somemight wantg reimbursement for "actual costs", which are HUGH on a private plane. I don't mean just the cost of fuel, but maintenanceand all the other expense incurred when you own one. I was an accountant for 40+ years, and believe me,some people will try to findany possible loophole they can! My exp. of course was with tax deductions, but the same thing would apply to reimbursement of expenses.

[karlrschneider]

4. Of course - the actual expense is far more than just the fuel, obviously.

That applies to automobiles as well, of course. As you point out, the per mile reimbursement is
the only fair way to do it...I just meant that whatever they do reimburse is unlikely to even cover
the cost of fuel, let alone the other direct and fixed costs. A hundred bucks an hour is probably
the ballpark number. By the way he isn't my congressman, I'm in Oklahoma. :-)