Brian, Thanks for running this one. It really shows what a fake and a hypocrit McClintock really is! Not only does the story confirm that he has not lived in this area for many years, we find out he is taking a tax free benefit that he does not deserve! Then he defends taking the $306,000 in taxpayer funds by saying he has a right to it! He is worse than Elliot Spitzer in terms of his hypocrisy! If this guy had a shred of decency he would resign!

McClintock appears to be technically able to run for a the congressional district - no matter where he lives - and so, that should not be a matter for much discussion. Although his per diems appear to violate the spirit of his own governmental philosophy, he may even be technically allowed to take such money provided he actually lived down here in this district.

What might be interesting discussion here is how the new Republican candidate for this State Senate has been following or diverging from McClintock's philosophy of government. That discussion could generate both heat and light.

The money issue bothered me, but what troubled me more than that was the fact that, as the L.A. Times article pointed out, state records show that McClintock flew at state expense to Southern California 14 times last year for a total of 36 days spent in the district.

This man has supposedly "represented" us all these years and he only spent a total of 36 days here in a year? I've never felt he represented me. Now I feel even more gypped.

Unfortunately Tom McClintock benefited from safe districts, and never had a viable opponent that would have exposed this. Being the darling of right wing Republicans, they didn't care about where he lived, as long as he was in office.
36 days in S. California - including travel time. Just enough to visit his mother and attend campaign fundraisers, then fly back HOME to Sacramento.

If it weren't for Ahnold's entry into the governor's race, Tom would probably be governor himself. It's very ironic to me that after a liberal democratic governor gets recalled for hosing CA and then the current economic meltdown under the current RINO, we're going to bash Tom for screwing taxpayers. Uh-huh.

And you might want to amend your last sentence to say that you focus on local politics and anything Obama.

The multitude of ballot propositions, including Prop. 13, put us in a funding box that "hosed" California. Energy deregulation, promulgated by Republicans, caused the energy crisis that was Davis' undoing. Ultra right wing McClintock would've been elected governor in this Democratic-leaning state only if he was running against Mickey Mouse.

Even then I would have bet on Mickey.

Right-o,

I Agree.

McClintock is in favor of cutting the budget for everyone but himself! He is a fat hog at the taxpayer trough! OINK OINK!

Wow! I just read the news on the way home today. WHAT A HYPOCRITE! Being a beneficiary of a family trust does NOT make you owner of a home, so it may be the IRS should take a closer look at McC's tax returns. If he can get away with this self-proclaimed loophole, then will the taxpayers have to pay for the McC Family's new real estate investment in his new district..assuming he wins as a carpet bagger there? Could he turn public service into a real estate trifecta? Or, in the spirit of all he proclaims to hold dear, will he sell his Sacramento place and reimburse the taxpayers the money he's happily taken from them?

McClintock has always been a phony. He wants to cut government "programs" for everyone but himself. He has been that way his entire life in politics. If there is a loophole, good 'ol Tom will always find and use it. How odd to explain that he should be paid $3,000 per month extra for a house that his Mother owns. Nevertheless, good 'ol Tom wants to cut pensions, insurance benefits, unemployment, aid to Mothers with children and education. Yep, good 'ol Tom is predictable if nothing else. He always looks out for numero uno and that is good 'ol Tom.

GS,

I think he believes this only offends people who were already against him. Being that most conservative Republicans locally are pretty quiet on this issue he must assume it is a non-issue. He won't return the money and he won't apologize unless he is forced.

He is an out of touch career politician although he does have an impressive knowledge of our state's budget process. He should retire and teach college. His state retirement package should be pretty large for all of his years in government. He would challenge students to rethink their assumptions and sharpen their arguments against a hero to the conservative movement in California.

Teach college? I think they require advanced degrees unless he teaches at Moorpark JC. Last I checked Tom was a little short in the education field other than on the job training.

I think at times common sense exceptions should be made. Tom McClintock for all of his faults and contradictions does know more about our state's budget than most people with an advanced degree in political science being that many of them were specialists in other fields and not in state government.

Would you enjoy taking a course from him, even if you object to his policy solutions?

I would sign up to increase my ability to debate the state's budget with someone that has been a fierce critic of Democratic AND Republican administrations.

Do you agree?

Brian, I would sign up for his class in a New York minute, but, then again, who wouldn't have predicted that, right? Seriously though, Tom is, and always has been, an articulate advocate of limited government, particularly in the budget arena. He knows the State budget and the legislative process like no one else up there and I am sure it would be a most enjoyable class, not just in learning the nuts and bolts of State government and finance, but I'm sure he's also got some fantastic stories and personal experiences he could share that would make it all the more fascinating.

How about a "no money down" real estate class?

Mongo,

Would you defend his practice of taking the per diem money or would you admit it looks bad?

My one question would be is he still paying a mortgage on his Thousand Oaks home? If so, it would seem OK legally for him to accept the money. I understand the T.O. home is in a family trust, but that could be for inheritance purposes only, and there may still be a mortgage on it. I guess what I'm saying is I would need to know a few more facts in the matter before I made a judgment.

He never owned the home in T.O. It is the home he was raised in as a child and is owned by his Mother through her revocable Trust. He had a condo that he sold. Makes it worse for ya, doesn't it Mongo?

Nah, it doesn't make it worse for me. I'm not running for office. But, I think the per diem may still be appropriate, at least partially, if he's commuting back and forth from Sacramento to T.O. T.O. is his home district, after all, so, presumably, he would still need to spend a fair amount of time there.

Tom McClintock barely came back to this district and when he did it involved other events like the debate at the Reagan Library. He wasn't commuting back and forth. When he did come here for all we know it was a part of a campaign stop for whatever office he was running for at the moment. McClintock is a career politician and as such he behaves with the worst of them at times. I think overall he is better with taxpayers' money but this raises doubts.

How is it that Tom McClintock's per diem is a budget problem but funding illegal immigrants with taxpayer dollars is not? Even if Tom's choice is a poor use of tax money, it pales in comparison to the impact that funding illegals has on this state.

Of the estimated $5-to-10 billion spent on "illegals" each year the majority is spent on education of children, health care and prisons. I suppose, after luring them here with jobs, we could turn their children out of the schools unimmunized and sick, deny them all emergency medical care and let them loose from the prisons. Now that would be a good plan.

If you sent every last illegal back (estimated 2/3 of migrant ag workers are illegal) back you would cripple the agriculture industry. We need a guest worker program.

Both are problems with the budget. The children of illegal aliens are expensive to educate. But being that people born here are citizens, the children of illegal aliens that are born here are not just their children, but our children to invest in and protect.

The hypocrisy of Tom McClintock is that he is constantly trying to take away programs that help the poor because they are too expensive and create dependency according to him yet he is not ashamed of taking money in what looks like is a loophole not intended for people like him.

Tom McClintock is a fake and a kook and only another fake and kook like Mongo would support his hypocrisy! If a democrat was doing what Tommy Boy McClintock was doing we would never hear the end of Mongo crying and crying.

Not Mongo, I am awaiting a thoughtful critique, as opposed to a flailing rant that seems to be the only thing you're capable of.

Mongo why do you support McClintock ripping off the taxpayer? Why is it you only have values when you feel the need to? Also, Iraq is again blowing up and McCain said Bush has been dead wrong in his approach, who is right, Bush or McCain? Do you have the gonads to answer the questions? I doubt it!

I again wait your thoughtful comments. I will not respond to the rantings of a madman.

Mongo why are you calling Tom McClintock a madman? Is it because he is ripping off the taxpayers and he is a fake and a phony? Why don't you have the guts to say if you think Bush or McCain is right?