WASTEBOOK 2011
The PECF is funded by a voluntary checkoff on tax
returns. Individuals may elect to send $3 of their tax bill to the fund rather than the general treasury, and married couples filing jointly may send $6. The
checkoff does not increase the amount of taxes owed or decrease any refund.6
Members of Congress are debating fewer bills, casting fewer votes, and holding fewer hearings.
Meanwhile, important government agencies including the Department of Defense and the
Government Accountability Office (GAO) are being targeted by Congress for spending
reductions.
What Congress has not considered cutting is the budget for its own summertime parties, which
are being planned and paid for well in advance.
Despite a federal budget crisis, taxpayers will be cutting checks this year to both political
parties that could ―help pay for the stages, confetti, balloons, food, and booze‖ for their political
conventions.2 The funds that are used to cover the conventions come from the Presidential
Election Campaign Fund (PECF).
This year each political party will receive a $17.7 million
check that will pay a sizable portion of the convention
costs. The PECF money will be distributed to each of the
political convention committee‘s bank accounts.
According to the Congressional Research Service (CRS),
―Federal law places relatively few restrictions on how
PECF convention funds are spent, as long as purchases
are lawful and are used to ̳defray expenses incurred with
respect to a presidential nominating convention.‘‖3 The
money is, after all, essentially being used to throw a party.
Besides funding the event itself, the money is used to pay
for entertainment, catering, transportation, hotel costs,
―production of candidate biographical films,‖ and a
variety of other expenses.4
In 2008, it is likely then that taxpayers covered the
Democrats bill at the Ritz Carlton and six-figure cost for
housing convention staff and the Republican bill for
$32,250 bill for ―speech coaching service‖ at their
convention.5
The PECF is funded by a voluntary checkoff on tax
returns. Individuals may elect to send $3 of their tax bill to the fund rather than the general treasury, and married couples filing jointly may send $6. The
checkoff does not increase the amount of taxes owed or decrease any refund.6
Read the PDF file: http://www.coburn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?a=Files.Serve&File_id=b69a6ebd-7ebe-41b7-bb03-c25a5e194365
The PECF is funded by a voluntary checkoff on tax
returns. Individuals may elect to send $3 of their tax bill to the fund rather than the general treasury, and married couples filing jointly may send $6. The
checkoff does not increase the amount of taxes owed or decrease any refund.6
Members of Congress are debating fewer bills, casting fewer votes, and holding fewer hearings.
Meanwhile, important government agencies including the Department of Defense and the
Government Accountability Office (GAO) are being targeted by Congress for spending
reductions.
What Congress has not considered cutting is the budget for its own summertime parties, which
are being planned and paid for well in advance.
Despite a federal budget crisis, taxpayers will be cutting checks this year to both political
parties that could ―help pay for the stages, confetti, balloons, food, and booze‖ for their political
conventions.2 The funds that are used to cover the conventions come from the Presidential
Election Campaign Fund (PECF).
This year each political party will receive a $17.7 million
check that will pay a sizable portion of the convention
costs. The PECF money will be distributed to each of the
political convention committee‘s bank accounts.
According to the Congressional Research Service (CRS),
―Federal law places relatively few restrictions on how
PECF convention funds are spent, as long as purchases
are lawful and are used to ̳defray expenses incurred with
respect to a presidential nominating convention.‘‖3 The
money is, after all, essentially being used to throw a party.
Besides funding the event itself, the money is used to pay
for entertainment, catering, transportation, hotel costs,
―production of candidate biographical films,‖ and a
variety of other expenses.4
In 2008, it is likely then that taxpayers covered the
Democrats bill at the Ritz Carlton and six-figure cost for
housing convention staff and the Republican bill for
$32,250 bill for ―speech coaching service‖ at their
convention.5
The PECF is funded by a voluntary checkoff on tax
returns. Individuals may elect to send $3 of their tax bill to the fund rather than the general treasury, and married couples filing jointly may send $6. The
checkoff does not increase the amount of taxes owed or decrease any refund.6
Read the PDF file: http://www.coburn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?a=Files.Serve&File_id=b69a6ebd-7ebe-41b7-bb03-c25a5e194365
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