Democrat State Sen. Rob Hogg has rarely shown up for work this legislative session. He has missed far more days than he has made. In fact, saying that Hogg has averaged one day of attendance per week during the legislative session would likely be an exaggeration.
Yet he is still likely receiving his legislator pay as well as his $169 per diem, which adds up day after day after day.
On Thursday, Hogg showed up for the Black Lives Matter protest-turned-riot at the Iowa Capitol. Hogg, dressed in blue jeans and a gray hoodie, stood outside among the BLM’ers listening to the speakers. He also appeared inside the Capitol around the time a BLM’er had to be arrested for making contact with an Iowa State Patrol officer.
Voters in Iowa Senate District 33 are being made to look like fools by Hogg. He fails to show up to do the job he was elected to do but makes sure to be there for the BLM protest.
How appalling. He offers little representation for his constituents and is by far the least effective member of the Iowa legislature.
I understand that Hogg represents a pretty liberal district, but even as much as I disagree with liberal Iowans, they still deserve representation at the Capitol. And Hogg isn’t bothering to pretend to provide it.
Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent — every Iowan in Senate District 33 should be outraged at Hogg’s actions.
And it should be demanded that he pay back any per diem he has received for any day of the session if he wasn’t in Des Moines that day.
There is certainly precedence for paying bay per diem. Former Republican Sen. Hubert Houser wrote a check to repay expense money he was paid while absent from the Senate in 2014.
Houser told the media he was “naive enough” to think he was retiring and the media would give him “a little more slack” than they did.
Houser wrote a check to pay back $576. He also told the Secretary of the Senate at the time not to give him an expense check all other legislators were scheduled to receive the day he returned.
The Des Moines Register wrote a story about Houser receiving money despite no longer going to the Capitol. The Register made the issue a front-page feature.
The Bleeding Heartland, a liberal political news website, wrote the following:
“Houser’s constituents elected him to do a job. He’s collecting a salary for work he isn’t doing.”
The lone comment slapped on the Bleeding Heartland’s story is from “moderateiadem.”
“If people don’t want the job then resign from your seat. I respect Walt Rogers for showing up to work, but I guess he may only be doing it because he’s in the House majority? I certainly hope not.”
Hogg should be held to the same standard. He should be embarrassed and ashamed.
At a time when many Iowans are hurting financially due to the pandemic, he’s pocketing money for doing a job that he is failing to do.
Here are a couple of videos of Hogg at the Capitol:
