“Meanwhile, Mullin is collecting a paycheck that is paid for by all of our tax dollars.”
Congressman Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) brazenly told constituents at a town hall that they don’t, in fact, pay for him. Never mind all the taxes his constituents have been filing in recent days, never mind their hard work, and Mullin’s own oath to office, Congressman Mullin doesn’t work for the people, and apparently he’s proud of it.
Mullin specifically said, “You say you pay for me to do this? That’s bullcrap.” He added, “I pay for myself. I paid enough taxes before I got here and continue to through my company to pay my own salary. This is a service. No one here pays me to go.”
Unfortunately, Mullin is misunderstanding some things. Millions upon millions of Americans pay their taxes. Whether he was a congress person or not, he’d still have to pay the same taxes on his business. So Mullin doing what he has to do anyways isn’t exactly anything worthy of praise.
Meanwhile, Mullin is collecting a paycheck that is paid for by all of our tax dollars. He is using government funding to pay for his staff, office, and other facilities. He also uses government funding for various other expenses, such as travel. And he was elected by his constituents, and he is supposed to represent them and their interests while in office.
The angle Mullin is trying to push certainly sounds attractive. He’s a successful business man. He pays his taxes. He ran for Congress not for the paycheck but instead to perform public service. Admirable, and perhaps there is some truth to his words. Regardless, he does work for taxpayers, and he should be accountable to his constituents. If Mullin refuses to work for the American people, then perhaps it’s time to find a new job.
Mullin’s Business Inherited & Big Recipient of Government Funds
Finally, it’s also worth noting that Mullin’s business success was due, at least in part, to his hardworking father. Markwayne inherited his plumping business, and while there is nothing wrong with inheriting the family owned business, it’s disingenuous to claim all that success for yourself.
Further, that business itself has been the recipient of about $370,000 dollars from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Ironically, he called the ARRA a “horrible waste of tax dollars.” Perhaps the Congressman was referring to his own work and craftsmanship?
