“No perks” Randy Vulakovich amasses more than $20,000 in state perks

FROM THE ALLEGHENY COUNTY DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE:

“No perks” Randy Vulakovich amasses more than $20,000 in state perks

Per diems, state car, excess mileage, and other expenses found in state records show more of the same from Republican wanting to replace jailed GOP senator

(Pittsburgh – July 23, 2012) – As Republican Randy Vulakovich runs commercials in his race for the 40th State Senatorial seat claiming to be a “real reformer” who is “refusing the Harrisburg perks such as per diems and a state car,” the Allegheny County Democratic Committee has discovered that Vulakovich received $20,978.67 in perks from January 2007 to May of this year. The details of the Vulakovich secret perks were found in records of the Office of the Comptroller of the House of Representatives.

“’No perks’ Randy is a fraud,” said Nancy Patton Mills, Chair of the County Democrats. “As a state legislator, he gets more than his share of perks – and plenty of them. He has accepted per diems. He has had a state car. And when he hasn’t had a state car, he has received mileage and other car payments of more than $13,000 -- all of which went directly into his pocket.

“Meanwhile, the people of his district are paying through the nose for both his perks and his policies,” continued Mills. “While Randy has been feeding at the public trough, he has also been voting to cut funding to schools and local municipalities. The schools in his district have had to raise property taxes to make up the difference to keep their quality schools going. This is certainly not a record he should be proud of.

“This special election on August 7 is happening for one reason only – the previous Republican senator engaged in unethical, untruthful, and ultimately criminal behavior, and she was convicted and jailed for violating the public trust,” said Mills. “Now we have another Republican who claims to be a reformer, but apparently sees nothing wrong with lying to the public.

“The voters of this district deserve far better – and electing Dr. Sharon Brown will give them the ethical and honest representation they want and need,” continued Mills. “Dr. Brown has real world experience – as a nurse practitioner, an educator, and a small business owner. She has met a payroll. She knows how to care for people in a time of shrinking budgets. She knows that the schools of the district are a major reason why families move to and stay in the district, and that we must protect them – for now and in the future. And she knows that to continue the same kind of leadership that failed us before will only fail us again.”