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August 24, 2010 11:46 PM UTC

Nice Job If You Can Get It

  • 130 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

Yesterday the campaign of Sen. Michael Bennet issued a press release detailing the fact that Republican Senate hopeful Ken Buck had missed at least 133 days of work (or about one-third of the time he should have been working) as Weld County District Attorney in order to campaign for the Senate.

Today, the Colorado Democratic Party issued a release calling on Republican CD-7 Ryan Frazier to pay back a chunk of his salary as an Aurora City Council Member since he has missed roughly 30% of his city council obligations in the last two years while campaigning, first for U.S. Senate, and now in CD-7.

Frazier’s missed city council duties have previously been reported by the major Denver newspaper, and Buck’s absences were recently reported by the newspaper in Greeley. We can’t recall any prior candidate for a major office missing as much time in their prior elected positions Buck and Frazier. It’s a staggering amount of absences, really, and doesn’t do much to help them make the case that they’re the candidates to fix an inefficient Congress; it’s hard to be particularly efficient when you don’t even show up for work.

This argument is particularly tough for Buck to repeat, when his opponent (Bennet) has a 100% voting record in the Senate…and his office is all the way across the country. In the month of July alone, Buck missed 25 days of work. 25!

But say this for Buck and Frazier: At least they’ve made their current jobs more attractive for future candidates. Run for my job, and you’ll only have to show up one out of every three days!

Full press releases after the jump.

Colorado Democratic Party Release:

DENVER- Ryan Frazier has missed multiple votes on crime and the city budget while he has been out campaigning for his next potential job in Congressional District 7. According to several reports, Frazier has missed approximately 30% of his city council obligations in the last two years.

In response Colorado Democratic Party Chair Pat Waak released the following statement:

“It’s appalling that Ryan Frazier thinks it’s no big deal to miss more than a quarter of work for his part-time job and think that he is still representing his district well. Missing the final vote of the city budget in such tough economic times says a lot about his priorities which he claims are the economy and balancing the budget.  Unemployed taxpayers are paying his salary- we think it’s only right for him to give back 30% of his city council pay for the votes he has missed.

“Using the excuse that he has to work to provide for his family is misleading. We know he hasn’t had a job outside of Council since he decided to run for the Senate and then Congress. Although it’s expected for sitting officials campaigning to miss some work, to miss so much over almost two years of campaigning and still think its ok is a big deal. Bob Beauprez and Paul Tauer had it right, Frazier “ought to be fired, not promoted.”

Background:

Aurora City Council Final Vote on Operating and Capital Improvement Budget for 2010, October 26, 2009

Aurora City Council Final Vote on Establishing a Tax Levy for 2010, October 26, 2010

Aurora City Council Final Vote on the Levy of Property Taxes, June 30, 2008

Aurora City Council Vote Discouraging Drug Activity, April 23, 2007

Press Release from Michael Bennet Campaign

KEN BUCK’S DAY (YEAR) OFF

Buck Owes Taxpayers $60,038 for Missing Nearly One-Third of Word Days to Campaign

DENVER, CO — Ken Buck is pretending to be fiscally responsible but as always he isn’t telling the whole truth.  Over the past 18 months, Buck has racked up a tab at the taxpayers expense of $60,038 for missing at least 113 days of work to campaign.  Will he pay back the taxpayers for failing to do his job?

“Ken Buck skips out on work and then tries to cover his tracks, but as usual he isn’t being honest with Coloradans,” said Trevor Kincaid, Bennet for Colorado spokesman. “Ken Buck has been passing the bill for his campaign onto taxpayers while pretending to be concerned about our tax dollars.  Buck’s political games and problems finding the truth continue to pile up and paint a very disturbing picture of a man who will say one thing and do another.”

In an interview with the Greeley Tribune, Buck said he misses from 15 to 45 hours of work every week to campaign.  Buck told the Tribune, “It’s a moral issue. If you’re going to take a day’s salary, you should do a day’s work.”  

As always, Buck’s record paints a very different picture than what he would have voters believe.  Buck has missed at least 32.8 percent of work on weekdays and has spent at minimum 31.5 percent of his time on the campaign trail while collecting a full time salary and benefits.  A few examples of the amount of work Buck has missed over the past few months to campaign:

March 2010 (22 days campaigning)

April 2010 (18 days campaigning)

June 2010 (19 days campaigning)

July 2010 (25 days campaigning)

During the primary, Jane Norton raised issue with the amount of time Buck was away from his duties as DA.  The concerns were echoed in a Greeley Tribune editorial, which questioned whether Buck’s actions were “morally or ethically right.”

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130 thoughts on “Nice Job If You Can Get It”

    1. Want to try some consistency?

      Has Obama given back any of his salary for the time he has not been running the country into the ground?

      How many “vacations” has he had?

      How many days has he spent on the political trail?

      The only feedback mechanism the voters have is voting.  

      If Buck runs for reelection in Greeley having lowered crime, do you think he will be reelected?

      If Obama runs for reelection having raised unemployment, inceased th debt and deficits, do you think he will be reelected?

      It is not about the time they put in, it is about the results they obtain.

      I wonder why the Dems want to avoid talking about results?

  2. I think there was a typo in Bennet’s press release. The header should be wor(k) days, not word days.

    It’s a good thing Bennet hasn’t missed work because this would be a double-edged sword of an argument.

      1. I went to 2 different Bennet events including a breakfast with HUD Secretary Donovan where Michael was not there because he was in DC doing his job.

  3. Why doesn’t he resign instead of sticking taxpayers with paying his salary and his sweet benefits package while he runs around the state? That would just be too honorable, I suppose.  

  4. Bennet is supposedly my representative.  He’s not talking to me and he’s not representing me.  How much is he going to give back to the taxpayers?

        2. the late great Senator from Nebraska, Roman Hruska, in his “defense of mediocrity:”

          Even idiots are entitled to a little representation, aren’t they, and a little chance?

          So, you are right, Beej, marilou does deserve representation. Maybe there is an elected official from Mississippi or somewhere that does a fine job of representing people like marilou and you.

          The actual 1970 Hruska quote, in “support” of a mediocre nominee for the Supreme Court can be found on wikipedia.

            1. The state has elected a lot of Democrats in recent years, including all but one of the statewide offices. I wouldn’t conclude that the “majority of Coloradans” are conservative with that bit of evidence suggesting otherwise.

                1. since that’s just one statewide office, and one that hasn’t been decided.

                  We can revisit this after November, but keep one more thing in mind – a very large number of Americans care enough to vote but don’t subscribe to either a liberal or conservative philosophy. If enough of them vote to put one side in power, it doesn’t mean that they’ve all suddenly taken such a subscription; it just means that they found that party to be more appealing.

          2. Maybe there is an elected official from Mississippi or somewhere

              Don’t go picking on Mississippi.  South Carolina is now the official home of imbecelic politicians.  Surely, one can be found to represent Marilou…

              (don’t do it, Ralphie.  I said, DON’T DO IT!)

      1. I asked him how he planned to raise revenue or cut government spending to reduce the deficit (which he said he would do) at the townhall meeting and he couldn’t give me a straight answer. All he said was that the economy would recover, and something about “having a discussion about making tough choices”. All the while he was touting the big government spending programs he was working on.

        1. to comprehend the answer he gave you. If you don’t like or are too stupid to understand the answers, don’t ask the questions.

          Although:

          You seem like the kind of asshole who, if he doesn’t get the answer he wants, will claim the person didn’t answer the question. I’m willing to bet that’s what happened.

                1. that grassroots candidates who take the time to visit people all across the state and listen to their concerns, like Ken Buck, get nominated. The establishment didn’t have a plan; the Tea Party does.

                2. that grassroots candidates who take the time to visit people all across the state and listen to their concerns, like Ken Buck, get nominated. The establishment didn’t have a plan; the Tea Party does.

                1. If the government didn’t take so much dang money in taxes, I’m sure I could find employment elsewhere in the private sector. Actually, I could anyway, but I’d like to get a Ph.D. first.

          3. It isn’t that I couldn’t understand the answer; it’s that he couldn’t understand it. You weren’t there I guess; maybe you could find a video or transcript.

            1. Hey Beej, (Mr. Graduate Student in Mathematics) that within the tea party Republican anti-elite group-think, YOU may well be perceived as part of the “elite.”

              (But don’t worry yourself sick, you won’t ever be mistaken for a member of the intellectual elite.)

    1. then you have a lot of time off from Senate duties that you get paid for, anyway – something that’s not true when you’re a DA. Asking Bennet to give up his salary isn’t fair.

              1. … I think the people of Weld County would like someone a little more “hands on” than just keeping in touch. I’d feel that way if we were talking about Denver’s DA.

                    4. The only thing I perceive is that the office didn’t need him. His entire salary is a waste. Where is the righteous taxpayer outrage?

                    6. if a Republican is doing the wasting? That’s consistent with the GOP’s message during the George W. Bush administration.

                    7. I think they would cut him, or anybody else, some slack.  He has done a good job for them and they appreciate it.

                    10. Weld County isn’t exactly the nation’s murder capitol. How many convictions are we talking about?

                    11. They prosecuted the first transsexual hate crime in the state and got a murder conviction on that one as well.

                      Crime was a big problem in Weld county, gangs were a problem and they have brought it under control.  

                    12. As someone who lives in Greeley, and knows Ken Buck.  You need to check your facts.

                      We have a continuing gang problem.  They are not under control.  Congratulating Ken Buck for prosecuting a murder charge is stupid, since that’s his f-ing job.

                      Ken Buck IS a right-wing nutter.  His wife was Dickwad’s deputy from 2006-2008.  He hangs around with Jim DeMint, Sean Conway, Scott Renfroe, Dave Schultheiss, Amy Oliver, and such.

                      To claim he’s a reasonable, middle of the road politician is simply stupid.  Hock your wares someplace else.

                    13. 15,000 out of 125,000 is 12% of the registered voters in Weld Co.  And probably more like 6% of all the citizens.

                      Nice red herring, though.

                    1. If you don’t like it when the Dems do this, be prepared to condemn your side when they do it, too. And they WILL do it.

          2. .. and is paying part of Buck’s salary so he can campaign?  

            I suppose you support his expenditure of more than $100K to prosecute a political expression against Marilyn Musgrave (petty offense in 2006 requiring 2 days of court and 3 deputy DAs)?

            Or his abuse of civil rights (when he raided a tax preparer with a shoddy warrant) and his expenditure of large amounts (again $100K+) of county money to argue his case in appeals, which he lost.

            Seriously, dude.  You don’t have standing to argue against, or on behalf of, Buck’s attendance.  

            So, kindly, SHUT. THE. FUCK. UP.

            1. it was this crazy liberal court that threw the case, and then only barely. And if you want to talk about the raid, please do. Ken Buck actually did something about illegal immigration instead of using the issue as a political football like so many politicians (ahem, John McCain) do. This is America and I have the right to free speech, so no I won’t shut the **** up until these wrongs are remedied.

              1. OK, what did he do about illegal immigration?  Seriously, BJ, what did he do?

                Since 2006, Buck has been using illegal immigration as a political football, designed to put his name into the bigger state/national scene. (Maybe this warrants a diary in the near future).

                But, and I’d love links, has he actually done to stop illegal immigration?

                  1. But, what did Buck DO with that?

                    He made mistakes with his warrant application (whether you agree with the court is immaterial), and because of those mistakes he was unable to prosecute any of the people in question.

                    So, I’ll give you, there, that he tried to do something, but that in the end his efforts were unsuccessful.

                    What has he actually accomplished?

                    1. When the crazy liberal supreme court of Colorado stops you, there’s not much you can do at that point. At least he tried to do everything he could, showing that he will continue to do so in the future if elected.

                    3. they just found a way to reinterpret it in order to stop you. Hence the need for Clear the Bench Colorado.

                    6. It’s apparent you don’t have the foggiest idea of what the Constitution says and means . . .

                      Carry on, carry on . . . nothing to see here.

                    8. What part of that do you not understand? What has Obama done about illegal immigration? What has Bennet done about illegal immigration? Heck, Hickenlooper has encouraged it by declaring Denver a sanctuary city, meaning we don’t follow the law. How’s that for liberals reinterpreting the law?

                    9. Just where can we find this declaration?

                      … Hickenlooper has encouraged it by declaring Denver a sanctuary city …

                    11. A grammatical line.

                      Declaration (as in “declaring Denver a sanctuary city”) is the opposite of implication (as in “…implicitly”).

                      What a f**king tool!

                    13. Beej links to a story about how Denver is NOT a “sanctuary city” under Hickenlooper as evidence “supporting” The Beej’s claim of the opposite.

  6. That’s the system we have. D.A. Ken Buck runs for Senate and we Dems are offended that he still collects his salary. D.A. Stan Garnett runs for A.G. and we Dems are fine with that. Flip it for the Republicans.

    What really matters is are they still putting the appropriate level of effort into their day job. I think by any standard Bennet has put more than the appropriate time into his Senate work.

    But Buck and Frazier… I think both need to speak to the specifics raised here. And I think the voters should take this into account.

    3. Buck received 76% or the Weld county vote in the Senate primary.  I believe that is a higher percentage than any other Senate candidate received in any other county in the primary.

      1. Which is roughly 12% of the registered voters in the County.  I am not sure how the number of votes he got in a partisan primary relates to the number of days he took off to campaign.

        I’d argue that Buck’s win margin (less than 76%) when he ran unopposed for re-election in 2008 says more about his DA job performance than his unrelated primary win.  Incidentally, he got 73,949 of 105,866 votes (69.8%).  Even running unopposed, he couldn’t get 70% support in Weld Co.

        Either way, the logic that the two things are related is flawed.

  7. .

    one tiny problem with that: In the month of July, there were only 21 work days:

    1, 2,

    6, 7, 8, 9,

    12, 13, 14, 15, 16,

    19, 20, 21, 22, 23,

    26, 27, 28, 29 & 30.  

    .

        1. I can believe six impossible things before breakfast.  Is there such a thing as negative overtime in the National Labor Relations Act?  Minus time and a half when you’re campaigning?

      1. .

        he’s supposed to be on duty 24/7/365,

        whereas a US Senator is supposed to work 6 hours a day, 2 or 3 days a week (Tuesday morning – Thursday morning,) 30 weeks per year.  Nice job, if you can get it.  

        .

  9. . . . it was Dickwad Hams, good old Mr. GOP Strategist (and the Democrats newest BFF), that opened this whole can of worms this election cycle with his letter calling for the resignation of Joe Garcia from CSU-Pueblo.

    That’s just one more torpedo right through the bow of the GOP ship of state, fired by Ensign ‘Hams.  (Apparently Dickwad didn’t realize that you want to have the pointy-end of that thing facing away from your own boat.)

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