NEW YORK, Oct. 9 (UPI) _ U.S. taxpayers foot an annual $2 million bill that allows the nation's 100 senators to dine at a substantial discount. Money magazine reports that last year, the Senate dining facilities lost an estimated $20,000 per politician. The expensive eating habits of our congresspeople were uncovered during an audit by the General Accounting Office. The publication points out that by cutting out those fancy food stamps, 2,283 more poor people could receive real food stamps or close to 11,000 needy school children could enjoy weekday breakfasts. Other beefy benefits include a mere 2 percent interest rate for delinquent diners. The magazine recommends raising the prices on the Senate menu, which are, on average, 42 percent lower than those listed at The Moncole, a comparable eatery near Capitol Hill. For example, a bowl of Senate soup costs $1.75, 61 percent less than the competition charges and the $5.75 price for a club sandwich is a 32 percent savings over non-subsidized diners. The federal Capitol Hill eatery also employs 170 high-priced waitstaff and chefs, salaries that add even more onto the taxpayers' tab. Copyright 1997 by United Press International.
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Copyright (c) 1997 Worldwide News T/A United Press International
Received by NewsEDGE/LAN: 10/09/1997 3:50 PM