Few elements of political life are so fraught with potential for scandal as taxpayer-sponsored travel. That’s why the word “junket” is just loaded with negative connotations.
So we were surprised to learn about four term-limited state lawmakers taking off on state-sponsored trips after the legislature adjourned last May.
To be clear, these are Democratic lawmakers who had just months left in office and were not scheduled to participate in another session of the state General Assembly. Yet, they thought it beneficial to the state to collectively spend $6,100 to attend summer conferences in New Orleans, Alaska and Washington, D.C.
Granted, the total amount is small when compared to the state’s $8 billion general fund. And we don’t begrudge lawmakers attending conferences that could prove beneficial to Colorado.
But still, it’s pretty tough to justify — though some of them tried — charging taxpayers for a political trip with just months left in your term.
If the trips are so beneficial, their successors, who will be in office for the next two to four years, should have been invited to go.
Instead, then-Reps. Cheri Jahn and Debbie Stafford winged it to Anchorage, Alaska, in July for five days to attend the Council of State Governments-West.
Jahn, a member of the group’s executive committee, said she was instrumental in keeping Coloradans in leading roles within the organization, according to The Post’s Jessica Fender.
The importance of that, frankly, is unclear. According to the group’s website, its purpose is to provide “a nonpartisan platform for regional cooperation among the legislatures of the 13 western states, creating opportunities for legislators and staff to share ideas and experiences.”
Call us crazy, but we suspect a Colorado representative could cooperate pretty well from a non-leadership role.
Then-Sen. Bob Hagedorn went to conferences in New Orleans and Washington, D.C., where he focused on health care and technology issues. Those are important topics, to be sure, but even though he says he papers his colleagues with material from the conferences, it’s not clear to us how his attendance benefits Colorado.
Last but not least, Alice Madden, now the former House majority leader, attended a conference in New Orleans, where, she said, she spoke on panels about climate change and energy.
Given that in January she was named the state’s climate change coordinator, it could actually prove beneficial. However, it’s a stretch to believe she knew at the time she signed up for the summertime conference that she’d get the climate job, which wasn’t vacant until late 2008.
No one is alleging any ethical breaches or swindling. But it is unseemly, especially given the budget situation Colorado faces. We expect better judgment from our elected officials and we’re reasonably confident taxpayers do as well.
