Friday, June 19, 2009

TRACKING OUR LEGISLAGTORS SERIES: SENATORS VOINOVICH & BROWN - HOW MUCH DO THEY SPEND ON STAFF? READ LETTER BROWN SENT TO US EPA ON UNIONTOWN IEL

Republican Senator George Voinovich is paid a salary of $174,000 each year for serving as one of Ohio's two U.S. Senator. Democrat Senator Sherrod Brown is paid the same amount.

Each is entitled to "expense" money to staff their offices to do the administrative work of being a senator.

As is evident from the graphic that leads this post, Brown gets about $78,000 more a year for his office operations.

The question becomes: Are Ohioans (including Stark Countians) getting their monies worth?

Over $5 million a year should provide able resources for Voinovich and Brown to be responsive to the needs of their constituents.

See the complete list of how each senator spends your money on staff by clicking here.

Why the question?

Recently the SCPR ran into a situation involving Chris Borello of the Concerned Citizens of Lake Township (CCLT) who was not having her inquires answered by Senator Brown's office. Borello has worked tirelessly since the early 1980s to get a proper remediation of hazardous materials dumped at a site abutting Cleveland Avenue about a mile south of the center of town. The site is known as the Industrial Excess Landfill (IEL).

The SCPR contacted Brown's office asking why a constituent would not be responded to by the Senator.

Perhaps, the SCPR inquiry was helpful. Shortly after the inquiry, Senator Brown's office has been in touch with Stark Countian Borello and has contacted U.S. EPA head administrator Lisa Jackson and asked for answers that CCLT has not been able to get.

One of the primary missions of the SCPR is to ensure that elected officials who serve Stark Countians are responsive to the needs and inquiries of Stark County citizens.

See the actual Brown letter in the video below.

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