Pomeroy Continues the Hypocrisy

While North Dakota Congressman Earl Pomeroy demands AIG executives return their bonuses, North Dakota taxpayers are asking Pomeroy to justify the bonuses he gave to staff members in December.

At the end of 2008 with the economy in turmoil and people across the United States losing jobs in record numbers Pomeroy gave away bonuses and raises to his staff members in excess of $30,000.  “Taxpayers all over the country have been struggling to make ends meet and Representative Pomeroy saw fit to give his staff members tens of thousands of dollars in bonuses on the back of the taxpayer.” said Paul Sorenson, Executive Director of the North Dakota Republican Party.  Sorenson continued “It’s amazing how out of touch Pomeroy is with the priorities of North Dakotans. People across our country are losing their jobs and struggling to make ends meet while Pomeroy recklessly spends taxpayer dollars.  Pomeroy gave this money away at a time when our economy was in full decline, it wasn’t acceptable then and it’s still unacceptable.”

What North Dakota citizen wouldn’t love to have a $5000 bonus or increase in their salary right now? That is exactly how much two of Pomeroy’s staffers received.  In Pomeroy’s recent speech on the House floor he asked this of the AIG Executives who took bonuses, “Have the recipients of these checks no shame at all?” North Dakotans are wondering the same thing as many in our state and country work hard to maintain employment and put food on their tables Pomeroy claims to understand but in reality he represents an extreme double standard.

Just as Congressman Pomeroy said in his short fiery speech on the House floor in February, “The people have said hell no and give us our money back.” The citizens of North Dakota ask the same thing in a slightly less theatrical manner, “Mr. Pomeroy….Will you give us our money back…. please? “