In 2007 and so far in 2008 Dennis Moore (Democrat, KS District 3) spent $146,592 of tax dollars for franking, while Nancy Boyda (Democrat, KS District 2) spent $221,362.
These amounts by Democratic members of Congress from Kansas were huge compared to a Democratic member of Congress from Ohio: Marcy Kaptur (Democrat, Ohio District 9) only spent $15,110 in 2007 and 2008. Why is franking so expensive for Congressional Democrats in Kansas, and so inexpensive for a Congressional Democrat in Ohio?
This congressional franking information is normally hidden from the public by the Clerk of the U.S. House, since one must travel to DC to get this information. In August the Meadowlark blogged about how difficult it is to get this information.
Thanks to Maggie Thurber, who is a radio talk show host in Toledo, Ohio, and who writes her Thurber’s Thoughts blog, some congressional franking information was finally obtained last week from the Clerk of the U.S. House about two Kansas members of Congress, Moore and Boyda, as well as her member in Congress, Marcy Kaptur (Democrat, Ohio 9th district).
This is a great example of networking among citizen journalists to expose what the mainstream media will not. Thanks to the Sam Adams Alliance and their SamSphere meetings for facilitating blogger connections.
The following is Maggie’s report about her visit to the office of the Clerk of the U.S. House to get Kansas information for me:
The office is relatively easy to find since everyone is helpful in pointing you in the right direction and signs clearly point to room numbers.
You are required to provide your name, address, organization (if any) and telephone number. When I asked why I needed to provide such information to view public records, the young woman behind the counter explained this was part of the transparency in government act. When I further questioned this, since I wasn’t IN government but was trying to see some of that transparency, she explained that, as she understood it, if we can get information about our members of Congress they should be able to know who’s looking at them.
You have to know what years you want to view and then just the name of the member of Congress. I asked for 5 years because I had no idea what to expect. She brought me two years to start with with – 2007 and 2008 year-to-date. I asked for my congresswoman’s file for comparison.
Your Kansas reps’ files were large – about 4 inches thick in total.
Here’s what I found. Each franking item is attached to a form that is signed by someone in the franking office to certify that the item is an appropriate use of the franking priviledge.
DENNIS MOORE
Most of his franking were notices of forum in his district, e-newsletters (which need approval if they are sent out by his House computer email account), robocalls to tell of upcoming meetings in the district.
2007
E-newsletters: 18 in and one e-questionaire
Robocalls: 8 for either congressional office hours in district or upcoming town hall meetings in district
Postcard mailers: EITC mailer, 5-19 town hall meeting notice,
newspaper ad for upcoming meetings (2 column 3/4 page ad in The Star)
2-page letter on recent actions in Congress
letter on HR620
Congrats letter to high school grads with a Constituent Services Guide (guide was a glossy full-color tri-fold)
letter on Darfur
Veteran’s Day newsletter (8-1/2 x 11 card stock full color on the holiday and ‘how he’s helping vets)
Healthcare newsletter (8-1/2 x 11 full color heavy stock paper that opens up to 17 x 22)2008
18 E-newsletters so far
another EITC postcard
meeting notice of Housing summits in district – 2 color 8.5 x 11 card stock
printing of certificates of recognition for use throughout the year
letters – HR 5515 Employee verification act, HR 5740 Vet Education Asst. Act, HR 6633 E Verify
Congressional Update – 8 x 9 full color open up mailer
9 robocalls – did four on just one meeting: notice, invitation, intro to issue and him, and thank you for attending.
Procurement Conference – tri fold notice of a the conference, speakers and invitation from him
Questionaire via email on issuesMoore obviously keeps a good list of people interested in specific issues and sends out letters to them whenever the issue is before Congress.
There are also books about 2 inches thick for each quarter of the year that list all the expenditures by congressman. I pulled those and checked the amount spent for franking.
Moore spend $74,593.87 in 2007 in this line item and as of the end of June, 2008, had spent $71,999.10.
However, there was another listing in the back of the book about mailings that had a different dollar amount – the staff could not explain to me how those mailing costs related to the franking costs. He speculated that the franking costs were the actual costs of the documents without the cost of the postage, where applicable, but he couldn’t verify that.
NANCY BOYDA (KS 2nd District)
2007
text, design, layout of exterior sign for her new Topeka office
ads for district meetings
robo calls
newsletters
(was running out of time and didn’t count the number of these)In 2007, she spent $102,914.41 in the franking line item and $118,448.78 Jan-June 2008.
2008
16 Robocalls
letter on Veteran issues accompanied by a Veteran Services Constituent Services guide (full-color glossy trifold)
8.5 x 5 newsletter on internet security which opens to 8.5 x 11
8.5 x 5 newsletters – legislative update for Riley County, legislative update for Coffey County, NE area, Shawnee&Douglas Counties,
Questionaire – 1st class letter with card stock insert that folds for returning via mail – has only 4 questions on it about their experience with her office. it was a 8.5 x 5 return that folds in half. This was obviously sent out in response to an inquiry with the answer in the letter and the ’survey’ on the experience to be returned. There was no postage on the return.)
Newsletters – update on credit cards, ‘congress in your mailbox’, update on energyMarcy Kaptur (D, Ohio District 9)
2007
Fall update
2008 calendar – imprinting. (the cost of the calendars were listed on a separate line item so the franking was just on the imprinting)
total spent 2007: $13,381.93 (the cost of the calendars was $5,400)2008
E-newsletter – one 2008 Summer update and voter registration form (8.5 x 11 full pages – 3 of them in a tri-fold format. full color)
total spent Jan-June: $1728.81Those books with the quarterly expenditures are priceless! I asked if they were going to be online any time soon but the staff didn’t have any idea. I can see where congress members would fight that vigorously.
THANK YOU Maggie Thurber for your report.
Related:
- Clerk of U.S. House hides franking records from average citizens, Kansas Meadowlark, Aug 15, 2008.
- Will Dennis Moore exploit one-day franking window to mail to his district for free?, Kansas Meadowlark, Aug 5, 2008.
- State Rep Rardin’s FOURTH franked piece to kick-start his re-election campaign, Kansas Meadowlark, June 8, 2008.
- Congressman Dennis Moore’s chief of staff may have violated E-mail rules. Moore franking abuse too?, Kansas Meadowlark, May 27, 2008.
- Update on Franking Abuse by Kansas Senate Minority Leader Hensley: $53,564 on 161,277 franked pieces, Kansas Meadowlark, May 7, 2008.
- Franking Abuse by Kansas Democratic Legislative Leadership, Kansas Meadowlark, April 17, 2008.
- Dennis Moore’s Abuse of Franking Privilege: “This mailing was prepared, published, and mailed at taxpayer expense” even though Moore has almost $1,000,000 in campaign cash in the bank, Kansas Meadowlark, Aug 6, 2006.
- Congressman Moore’s Abuse of Franking Privilege?, Kansas Meadowlark, May 4, 2004.
Tags: Congressional Frank, Congressman Dennis Moore, Congresswoman Nancy Boyda, U.S. House Legislative Resource Center
