California Sen. Darrell Steinberg Fears Scrutiny of Public Records

Senator Darrell Steinberg and his merry band of spendthrift, do-nothing legislators (is there anothier kind?) in the Senate and Assembly have refused to provide the Watchdawg with copies of their travel records and gas charge card receipts for the years 2006 through 2008. In an unprecedented display of arrogant omnipotence,  Darrell's refusal was based on the following written statement: "We believe that the disclosure of their air schedules and related travel information [lodging, meal and gas charge card receipts] poses a serious risk to the security of individual Senators.

This assinine argument doesn't pass the involuntary laugh test! How is it even remotely possible that a review of past travel records would "pose a serious risk to the security of individual Senators"? Seemingly, Senator Steinberg would have us believe that a review of his travel records regarding a trip to Aspen in January 2007 could somehow cause a disgruntled Californian to confront him at the St. Regis Resort thereby resulting in Darrell being the victim of an unpleasant confrontation.

For the life of me, I can't understand why public officials from every sector of state/federal government make annual treks to Vail or Aspen, Colorado in January to attend conferences. Don't these fools know how cold it gets in Vail in January!

Seems to me that Senator Steinberg missed his calling as a stand-up comedian! In truth, the only "serious risk to the security" of Senator Steinberg and his compatriots is the fear that a review of their travel records and gas charge card receipts could result in them being exposed for billing the public for personal matters. Put simply, these travel records may well prove that Steinberg, et al. have engaged in a little "Stanford-ism," meaning they utilized public funds for improper purposes like Gov. Stanford who was caught commiserating with a "hot tamale" in Argentina on the public's dime.