Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Per diam and mileage

Here is a chance for you to give feedback:
What should I do about the per diam ($60/meeting) and mileage ($0.50/mile) that the county provides to county board supervisors?

Thoughts:
I know of at least one supervisor who apparently doesn't take anything. Apparently most take the full amount.
Most jobs don't provide mileage to go to work but they also don't require you to live a certain distance from work.
$0.50/mile is probably a lot more than is needed to account for wear and tear on my vehicle.
These payments aren't significant compared to the amounts that can be saved elsewhere.
Would not taking the money reduce taxes or just get spent elsewhere?
So far most meetings have been 2-3 hours but some have been as long as 6 hours.
Should I take the money and send it on (i.e. to charity or politician/organization that has the same goals)?
There are at least 3 meetings per month which would total about $250.