There have been mentions that Robson is the former Majority Leader, but has anyone mentioned that last year was a BUDGET year? She could have easily been spending very loooooongggggg days in Madison. After considering this, I went to the link at Beloit Daily News to see if they had any additional information:

http://www.beloitdailynews.com/articles/...

It puts it into perspective a little bit better than the Gazette's AP blog, with more examples of legislators' per diem reimbursements. But I think wisconsinheat has a good point--comparisons are not valid in this instance. The question is whether her--and other legislators'--expenses were verified. What is the verification process? For past employment, all we can do to verify mileage and expenses is write down mileage and provide receipts for other work-related expenses. Are legislators required to do this?

Isn't she special. I went to Jackson Tax Service in Beloit this past weekend and was denied Per Diem as a Semi Truck driver because I only operate in wisconsin and don't sleep in the truck overnight. Now what truckstop or rest area does Robson stay at? And what out of state route does she travel from home to Madison? I'd like a copy of her rule book. Mine does'nt pay as well

We don't need comparisons to anything. Either her expenses are legitimate or they're not. Doesn't matter what anyone elses' are.
I would hope it's just a matter of open records.

Perhaps she should offer that as an aside to this article?

File this story for a year and see what her expenses are NEXT year when she is not Senate Majority Leader. Without a comparison she could either be a very hard worker or a very good milker.

Dear grown up a long time ago, aka billnewbie:

If you really think your dollar doesn't go to lobbyist fees, perhaps you grew "up" the wrong way. And as far as verify, how do any of us have any account of how companies, a la big oil under Bush, greatest profit makers in history, use all that profit - and where does it come from but our pockets! And seeing their balance sheets either violates the rights of the privates or goes against the interests of commercially owned and sponsored media. As your name well suggests, a "newbie," will always be "bill"ed in ways he'll never understand.

Gas for 120 round-trip drive @$3.00/gallon and 20mpg $18.00, Lunch $20.00, snacks and sodas $10.00, I guess the other $40.00/day is for parking fees - or maybe she' been toking a few packs a day of those fire-safe cigarettes to test them out?

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Too bad one of her staffers didn't just e-mail a copy of her detailed expense report to the Gazette. Nothing says "you caught me" like a politician ducking the press.

Not to say she wasn't working for us. Not to say she isn't doing a good job.

The point is; it's too easy to request the maximum of anything if you know there is no verification process. This has been shown time and again in the state legislature.

Read; Past per diem abuse, past sick leave abuse, past expense account abuse.

I'm sure each of them were doing good things for their districts also. But that's beside the point.

Not pointing fingers at anyone. Simply saying: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Trust but verify.

Robson claimed the expenses because she was actually working for us. So many politicians put in the absolute minimum amount of time, so their expenses obviously will be less. At least she didn't claim she lived in Beloit while actually having a property in Sun Prarie, a la John Gard. I'm so tired of politicians right now. With all the information available regarding scandals and lies, it's really hard to know who to trust any more. I do know one thing, though...Judy Robson is one of the good ones. Whenever I've contacted her, she's replied quickly and answered all my questions.

Judy was reimbursed what she was entitled to under the current rules. Her expenses could have been more than $88/day. If she had the highest bill, maybe it just means she worked more than all the others. If you think that $88/day is excessive, maybe the rules should be changed. It seems to me that it should not be that much more expensive to travel from Rock County than it is from Dane County. It must be a lot more expensive to travel from some of the northernmost counties.

I grew up a long time ago. Corporate representatives and lobbyists spend the money of shareholders who expect a return on their investment. Robson and the rest spend my money, and yours as well. Yes, she and the rest perform a valuable service, but, they also are responsible to the taxpayers for the money they spend and do not have carte blanc to spend at will. However, this story is meaningless without some reference to the average reimbursement.

Grow up, this is peanuts: we in our district should all be grateful for our luck to have a true working representative, and one with high responsibility. What do you think corporations allow their lobbyist-leaders for time in Madison? Double? triple? Five times the amount? Think of the hotel bill alone. You do not get good legislation when you pinch the public servant who is acting in the public interest, as if she were a naughty school child, while the special interest lobbyists, acting in only their client-employer's parochial self interest, relax in comfort.

I guess I could believe that Robson spent 188 days in Madison, she was Senate Majority leader, after all, and 188 days is just half a year or 3.5 days per week. What I find less credible is that she maxed out her $88 allowance each and every day she was there. What was she spending the money on?

Robson, D-Beloit, claimed she spent 188 days at work in Madison in 2007.

I wonder if this was verified?

Trust but verify.