Franking mail — ever heard of it? Rep. Tom Perriello has… and man, does he appreciate your help.
Most people don’t know that Congress can spend gobs of money informing constituents back home about what’s going on in D.C. They’re called “franking privileges” and they’re a big hit with some congressmen on the ropes. More to the point, it’s a big piggy bank for incumbents, and one of the tools they use to stay in office.
So how worn out is Tom Perriello’s tool? His Democratic partner in VA-09, Rick Boucher, was recently criticized for spending north of $140,000 on franking mail, making Boucher one of the 7th most indulgent Congressman on the Hill :
Politically, franking mail is a double-edged blade, Wood said: An incumbent can cast it as a valuable public service to educating constituents, while a challenger could point out that he’s doing it on the taxpayer’s dime.
“I think that right now, franking could be very dangerous,” Wood said. “It could be seen as a political insider tool.”
With the political environment souring for Democrats, several Republicans and one independent candidatehave emerged to challenge Boucher in the 2010 House race, led most prominently by Virginia House of Delegates Majority Leader Morgan Griffith, a Salem Republican.
Asked how he would respond to challenges that he is using franked mail to give him an electoral edge, Boucher said, “I would contest the notion that this is some kind of perk. People do expect that members of Congress would communicate with them. What I’m doing is not related to elections.”
And yes, before you ask, they are indeed made of brass. The average use of franking mail in “the most ethical Congress in history” was a mere $41,000.
Tom Perriello? Dipped into the piggy bank to the tune of over $300,000 in just two years using public money to further private office.
Before we go into the argument that this a common tool used to consistently reach out to concerned citizens, let’s take a sample look at what Perriello has mailed (and by topic), shall we?
First Quarter 2009
No Franked Mail
Second Quarter 2009
Mail Piece 45820-8
Title – Economic Recovery
Postage – $16,721.85 (paid to USPS) (2Q’ 09 p2197)
Printing & Production – $20,158.79 (paid to DFM Communications) (2Q’ 09 p2199)
Mail Date – March, 2009
Mail Piece 45280-9
Title – Tax Day is April 15th – Learn What Congressman Perriello is Doing to Help Lower Your Taxes
Postage – $16,721.85 (paid to USPS) (2Q’ 09 p2197)
Printing & Production – $14,217.85 (paid to DFM Communications) (2Q’ 09 p2199)
Mail Date – March, 2009
Third Quarter 2009
Mail Piece 45820-20
Title – Reports to County Residents/Recovery Act benefits/announcing Town Hall Event
Postage – $20,484.97 (paid to USPS) (3Q’ 09 pp2043-44)
Printing & Production – $17,453.62 (paid to DFM Communications) (4Q’ 09 p1892)
Mail Date – July/August, 2009
Fourth Quarter 2009
Mail Piece 45820-49
Title – Constituent Services
Postage – $18,250.95 (paid to USPS) (4Q’ 09 p1889)
Printing & Production – $8,658.10 (paid to DFM Communications) (1Q’ 10 p2226)
Mail Date – November, 2009
Mail Piece 45820-53
Title – Health Care Reform Newsletter
Postage – $14,534.92 (paid to USPS) (1Q’ 10 p2225)
Printing & Production – $10,691.65 (paid to DFM Communications) (1Q’ 10 p2226)
Mail Date – December, 2009
First Quarter 2010
Mail Piece 45280-1
Title – Newsletter – 2009 Annual Report Summary * * 20 versions to different counties* *
According to the Congressional Franking Office, this mail piece was submitted for
review on 2/18/2010 and the opinion approving it to be mailed was issued on 3/11/2010.
There is no record on any of the disclosure statements for this mail piece.
Estimated Mail Date – March, 2010
Second Quarter 2010
Mail Piece 45820-05
Title – Bill to Repeal Special Interest Exemptions
Postage – $20,025.71 (paid to USPS) (2Q’ 10 p2101)
Printing & Production – No amount for Printing & Production appears on any disclosure form to date for this mail piece.
Mail Date – March, 2010
Mail Piece 45280-08
Title – Newsletter – Health Care Q & A
Postage – $17,682.88 (paid to USPS) (2Q’ 10 p2101)
Printing & Production – $11,914.37 (paid to DFM Communications) (2Q’ 10 p2104)
Mail Date – April, 2010
Mail Piece 45820-12
Title – Newsletter – Small Business
Postage – $23,322.37 (paid to USPS) (2Q’ 10 p2101)
Printing & Production – $12,073.40 (paid to DFM Communications) (2Q’ 10 p2104)
Mail Date – May, 2010
Taxpayer Funded Postage Total – $147,745.50
Taxpayer Funded Printing & Production Total – $95,167.78
Grand Total Tax-Payer Funded Franked Mail – $242,913.28
Don’t worry — it gets worse. After Perriello discovered that he would have a challenger in the race, he issued a series of new franking mailings. Take a look at the topics and tell me whether these are political or not:
Mail Piece 45280-1
Title – Newsletter – 2009 Annual Report Summary * * 20 versions to different counties* *
According to the Congressional Franking Office, this mail piece was submitted for review on 2/18/2010 and the opinion approving it to be mailed was issued on 3/11/2010. There is no record on any of the disclosure statements for this mail piece.
Mail Date – March, 2010
Mail Piece 45280-16
Title – D-Day Memorial Legislation Newsletter
According to the Congressional Franking Office, this mail piece was submitted for review on 5/26/2010 and the opinion approving it to be mailed was issued on 6/28/2010.
Mail Piece 45280-20
Title – Newsletter – Strengthening Medicare & Social Security for Virginia Seniors.
According to the Congressional Franking Office, this mail piece was submitted for review on 6/18/2010 and the opinion approving it to be mailed was issued on 7/22/2010.
Mail Piece 45280-21
Title – Hunters & Anglers
According to the Congressional Franking Office, this mail piece was submitted for review on 6/24/2010 and the opinion approving it to be mailed was issued on 7/11/2010.
See how that works? Remind folks of all the good work you’ve done, then reassure veterans, seniors, and hunters…
Break out the average for the pieces mailed, and on file so far, Tom Perriello has spent $300,000 on franking privileges — your money and mine — protecting his job in Washington while unemployment skyrockets back home. Worse yet, we don’t even know how much more Perriello has spent going into the election.
Oh — the printing press who did all the work? Every piece has a union seal on it (card check, anyone?) and is printed by Mount Vernon Printing Company… in Landover, Maryland.
How’s that for helping Virginia’s 5th District. First he fleeces you on taxes, saddles you with debt and Obamacare, then he ships his “franking privilege” business to Maryland.
How’s that for a congressman looking out for your interests?
