Opportunity cost: What could special session $$ cover? 

INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Republicans’ ineptitude will cost Hoosier taxpayers $30,000/day to finish a job they bungled in the first place. While some are downplaying the expense to taxpayers, it’s worth comparing the perceived cost to more tangible expenditures.

The expense of just two days of special session is more than the median Hoosier household earns in a year.

For what taxpayers would spend to cover two days of special session:

8: The number of children who could attend preschool for a year.

1: The number of family case managers the Department of Child Services could hire and pay salary and benefits.

6: The number of families who could send their kid to child care for a year.

545: The number of students who could receive their K-12 textbooks at no cost.

Indiana Democratic Party Chairman John Zody questioned the claim that $30,000/day wasn’t all that much money.

“I think the choice of paying lawmakers’ per diems or putting eight children through preschool for a year is pretty clear for working Hoosiers,” said Zody. “To say $30,000/day isn’t much is a tough sell to families when just two days of special session is more than the median household makes in a year. Hoosiers expect their leaders to get the job done on time and on budget. That Republicans are dipping into the taxpayers’ pockets to cover the cost of fixing their failures and claiming it’s a small price to pay is alarmingly out of touch.

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