‘Fiscal Watchdog’ Colin Bonini Owes Delaware Taxpayers $19,105. And 92 Cents.

When Colin Bonini talks about waist waste, fraud and abuse, he knows what he’s talking about. A simple look at the public record shows that Bonini has collected thousands of taxpayer dollars for work he has not performed.

I will stick today merely with what can be proven by looking at the public record.

By law, legislative members of the Joint Sunset Committee receive an annual stipend of over $3800 annually. The applicable section of the Delaware Code is 710(c)(12) of Title 29:

S. 710. Compensation of Lieutenant Governor and members of the General Assembly

(c) Any member of the Senate or the House of Representatives who is elected or appointed to any of the following positions shall, while serving in such position, receive additional yearly compensation as follows:

(12) Members of the Joint Sunset Committee 3,852.00.

So, in addition to his annual legislative salary, Colin Bonini has received  $3,852 annually for his service on the Joint Sunset Committee, no matter how boring he might consider the work to be.  Here’s the catch: As a matter of public record, Colin Bonini hasn’t done his job the majority of the time on the Joint Sunset Committee.

Let’s do some of that boring math that taxes (oops, that word again) Bonini’s concentration so much.  Colin Bonini has ‘served’ on the Joint Sunset Committee for the last eight years. He has collected $30,816 for his ‘service’, not including any mileage allowance that is usually added on.

As reported earlier today, Bonini’s attendance record at JSC meetings is abysmal, especially for a ‘fiscal watchdog’ ostensibly serving on a committee with fiscal watchdog responsibilities:

These are not merely public hearings, as if skipping public hearings were somehow a lesser offense, but sessions in which legislators make recommendations on ways to make agencies more efficient and cost-effective, and sessions in which legislators vote on the recommendations. In other words, precisely the area of legislative activity where purported watchdogs can actually do something.

So, here’s what we know. At best, Colin Bonini has performed his duties as a member of the JSC 38% of the time, yet has been paid as if he was a fully-participating member of the committee, which he is not. He has earned 38% of  the $30,816 he has been paid.

In other words, Colin Bonini has pocketed $19,105.92 in state funds to which he was not entitled. And now this guy wants to be our ‘fiscal watchdog’.

When Colin Bonini looks in the mirror, he sees waste, fraud and abuse personified, because he is the undeserving beneficiary of all three.

That doesn’t even take into consideration what money he might have collected for his Joint Finance Committee service despite similar attendance issues.

Colin Bonini: PAY US BACK WHAT YOU OWE US. That’s $19,105.92, cash or check (uh, we’d prefer that that not be one of your ‘personal’ checks, thank you.) Otherwise, retire the term ‘fiscal watchdog’ from your cynical lexicon. To fail to make the taxpayers whole again would be to demonstrate that you are unsuited for public service and that you are just using them to fatten up your already bloated bank account for public service not rendered.

PAY US BACK, PAY US BACK, PAY US BACK…