Love Took Over $14,000 in Per Diem Payments

AL-02: Jay Love Took Over $14,000 in Per Diem Payments While Living in Capitol City

by Brandon English

Oct 10, 2008


Republican candidate Jay Love (AL-02) has made it clear that he loves raising taxes, given that he voted for the largest tax increase in Alabama history. Now, it has come to light that Love also loves cheating Alabama taxpayers for his own personal gain. Alabama Representative Jay Love accepted $14,300 in taxpayer funded daily allowances even though he lived less than eight miles from the Alabama State House.

"When it comes to taking money from hard working taxpayers, Jay Love has no shame," said Kyra Jennings, Southern Regional Press Secretary at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "While living less than 8 miles away from the capitol, he took $14,300 of taxpayers' money in daily allowances in addition to his taxpayer funded salary. Hardworking Alabamans don't get an allowance to go to work, but they paid millionaire Jay Love one and all he did was try to pass the biggest take hike in American history. Millionaire Jay Love should pay back the $14,300 taxpayer allowance he unfairly took."

Background

According to the State Payroll Administrator for the Alabama Comptroller's Office, Jay Love took a per diem a total of 286 days since 2003. Love's per diem payments were $50 a day, totaling $14,300 that Love cheated taxpayers out of for personal gain.


Below is a detailed listing from the Alabama Comptroller's Office of how many days per year Love took a per diem while serving as a State Representative:

2003 - 66 days
2004 - 45 days
2005 - 46 days
2006 - 38 days
2007 - 47 days
2008 - 44 days

Jay Love's Montgomery, Alabama home is 7.5 miles from Jay Love's State House office.


Alabama state legislators receive $3850 a month adjusted annually to reflect any
increase in the cost of living, which comes to $46,200 annually before any cost of living adjustments. Additionally, legislators receive $10 per calendar day, and sessions are limited to 105 calendar days, for an additional $1,050. [Legislator Compensation 2008, National Conference of State Legislators, March 2008 ; Alabama's Legislative Process, Senate Document No. 3]


Rules for Per Diem payment: The current allowance for expenses is $50.00 per diem for three days during each week that the Legislature actually meets during any regular session, special session or organizational session, and $3,850.00 per month expenses year round. Each member is also paid $50.00 per diem for the performance of his or her duties as a member of any duly authorized interim legislative committee or subcommittee thereof, conditional upon actual attendance [Alabama's Legislative Process, Senate Document No. 3]


Jay Love is a millionaire with between $1 and $5 million each in Pike Rd. Invests, LLC and SE Subway Dev, LLC, among his other lucrative assets.[Jay Love personal financial disclosure, 5/10/08]


Jay Love Voted for $1.2 billion in new taxes on Alabama families including:
Love supported raising Property Taxes by $496.5 million annually by the time the taxes took full effect in 2008. [Roll Call Vote 86, HB 3, 6/2/03]
Love supported raising sales taxes by $178 million a year. [Roll Call Vote 41, HB 11, 5/28/03]


Love supported raising income taxes by $461 million year, including raising income taxes on individuals by about 20 percent and on business by about 25 percent. [Roll Call Vote 106, HB 1, 6/2/03]

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