Quite Frankly, CA-11 Gets Bupkis from Pombo

[DISCLAIMER: Matt O. works for the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund on the Pombo In Their Pocket campaign to oust Pombo from Congress. He operates his own blog, The Great Society, authors a weekly series on war profiteers at firedoglake and contributes to the Iraq for Sale film blog. He is also a Bay Area native and a registered voter in California's 11th Congressional District. The views expressed are his own.]

The blog Progressive 11th picked up on a story the other day that reported Rep. Richard Pombo (R-Tracy) spent $46,786 in taxpayer money on mailings. From The Union:

Doolittle, R-Roseville, is allotted approximately $1.3 million each year to pay for staff, travel and expenses such as the mailers, in addition to his
salary of $165,200. The congressman is allowed to use any portion of his $1.3 million treasury on "franking," or sending mail at taxpayer expense.

The eight-term incumbent spent $53,617 in the first half of 2006 on franked mail, according to government documents. During the same time period, East Bay Democratic Rep. George Miller spent $16,651 on mailers and Rep. Richard Pombo, the Republican representing San Joaquin County and nearby areas, spent $46,786 on franked mail. [emphasis added]

Just last Thursday, babaloo noted Pombo's campaign pit stop in a Stockton post office that resulted in a formal complaint filed by Darol Stewart, President of the American Postal Workers Union, Stockton Local 320, on behalf of the employees.

For examples, Progressive 11th shows readers what tens of thousands of dollars in mailers looks like.

Also, Wes of PomboWatch takes a look at "Pombo's Pals." (And it doesn't even include one of Pombo's best friends, Jack Abramoff.)

And finally, with yesterday being Labor Day, a letter appeared in the Stockton Record noting Pombo's staunch opposition to raising the minimum wage citing business interests. Dave Waldon of Stockton wrote [an excerpt]:

I also agree that "The richest nation in history should be embarrassed by what it defines as a minimum wage - $5.15 an hour."

That "embarrassment" can be directly attributed to a Republican-led Congress that has approved pay raises for its members in seven of the last nine years.

Each of these years, Democrats have endeavored to raise the national minimum wage only to be crushed by Republicans (including Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Tracy) who claimed raising the minimum wage would do great harm to business. [emphasis added]

But those people working 40 hours a week for a full year yet still living under the poverty line? Bupkis.

Tags: CA-11, Richard Pombo, minimum wage, franking, ethics, corruption, Jerry McNerney