Concerning George Santos and his questionable route to gain a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives (“N.Y. Republicans: Santos disgraced House, should resign,” Jan. 12, Page A2):

All Mainers, and all U.S. taxpayers, may want to set aside the talking points debate for a moment and consider the nitty-gritty that the salaries and allowances for all members of Congress come out of our taxpayer pockets. Serious money.

George Santos, as a freshman representative, receives a $174,000 yearly salary; a $286,862.50 yearly allowance for office supplies; $994,671 (up to $1,967,213) for hiring personnel, travel and other incurred expenses; $40,000 for office furniture; a $3,000 living expense tax deduction; full health insurance coverage for $53.86 per month; options for retirement accounts; free office space in D.C. and in his home state, and free emergency health care. This is an abbreviated list, but to sum up, for his first year in Congress we will shell out $1,495,533.50 at minimum just for him to sit there, warranted or not. These figures are public and readily available to view online.

This is not just a “New York” or “D.C.” thing. It affects all of our wallets and provides food for thought that we voters should treat elections not as entertainment or a popularity contest. We pay for qualified people of integrity to do the work. Entertainment can be found at many venues for the price of a ticket. A $1,495,533.50 price tag to see one clown is beyond the pale.

Christina Paul
Old Orchard Beach

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