FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News from Progress Michigan
October 28, 2014
Contact: Sam Inglot, 616-916-0574, sam@progressmichigan.org
LG Brian Calley Skipping Town on Weekly Basis to Attend Harvard
Calley has missed session days to jet set across the country
LANSING — Progress Michigan discovered that Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley has been skipping town on a weekly basis, including session days, to attend Harvard.
“While we’re certainly not opposed to people bettering themselves through higher education, we think it’s highly inappropriate for the state’s second-in-command to be jet-setting across the country on a weekly basis while still earning a taxpayer-funded paycheck,” said Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan. “We wonder if legislative leadership knew about this arrangement and are curious as to why the Lieutenant Governor never informed the public about his decision to leave the state every week.”
Calley makes over $2,000 a week per a taxpayer-funded paycheck and Progress Michigan believes Calley should put his duties to the public above prepping himself for his next career step. Calley even missed session days to pursue the out-of-state education, according to the Detroit Free Press. From 2013 through today, Calley has missed 62 days session days even though other state employees are only allowed between 15 and 35 vacation days, according to the Michigan Civil Service Commission.
“Would the delegates of Calley’s party have reelected him had they known he was leaving the state on a weekly basis?” Scott questioned. “The average Michigander doesn’t have the luxury of taking this much time off work and I am sure they would not be happy to know that their tax dollars are paying the Lieutenant Governor to take a day off each week.”
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