Legislators spare no expense…on themselves

Alaska is facing a massive budget crisis. But you wouldn’t know it by looking at the spending habits of the state’s legislators.

At a recent conference in Seattle, legislators and their staff members racked up more than $90,000 in charges for hotel rooms, meals, transportation and conference dues. The event, the national Conference of State Legislatures annual summit, was a chance for our representatives in Juneau to meet with their peers from across the country to discuss a wide variety of political issues. It was also a chance for them to see some of the Pacific Northwest’s finest accommodations.

Among the biggest spenders of state money was the Valley’s own Rep. Mark Neuman (R-Big Lake), who was forced to slum it at the Grand Hyatt, a “luxurious urban retreat” that cost taxpayers $439 per night. Neuman’s chief of staff, Rex Shattuck, stayed in the same hotel for three nights, billing the state a cool $1,530 for the AAA Four Diamond accommodations.

To put that in perspective, a 12-by-16 cabin in Neuman’s home district was being advertised on Craigslist Thursday for $395.

That’s per month.

Neuman, who was one of six legislative leaders who signed a 2014 letter to Gov. Bill Walker urging cost-saving restrictions on state employee travel, wasn’t alone among local legislators living it up in the Emerald City. Rep. Jim Colver, another Mat-Su Republican, spent $3,231.93 during his time in Washington State. That includes a three-night stay at the Roosevelt Hotel, which according to its website is “a beautiful historic, pet-friendly boutique hotel in the heart of downtown Seattle – the Roosevelt Hotel Seattle is the best place to stay in downtown Seattle.”

Must be nice.

The only local legislator who seems to have had their constituents in mind was Lynn Gattis (R-Wasilla), who didn’t spend a dime on lodging and appears to have found her own accommodations. Kudos to Gattis for understanding that saying you’re fiscally responsible and actually acting that way are key to earning the voters’ trust.

As for the rest of the legislators involved in this public fleecing, we hope voters will see just how arrogant and disrespectful their actions are. At a time when these same self-styled “fiscal conservatives” are making cuts to vital public services, it’s unconscionable that they would spend so much money on a few nights in the city.

Contact information for the Mat-Su’s legislative delegation is listed below. We hope you will use it to let them know how you feel.