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Casorio gets $12,693 in mileage remittal Lawmaker: I drive a lot in Irwin district Sunday, February 03, 2002 By John M.R. Bull, Post-Gazette Harrisburg Correspondent
HARRISBURG -- James E. Casorio represents a small, rural state House district in Westmoreland County, but he racks up big money for mileage reimbursement.
He billed taxpayers $12,693 for driving his own car last year, much more than other House members from the region who drive their personal cars instead of leasing a vehicle at taxpayer expense, a Post-Gazette examination of vehicle expenses has revealed.
The bulk of Casorio's bill last year -- $10,300 in "other mileage" -- he said was for driving around his district, which is 20 miles wide, stretching from South Versailles to Jeannette. The rest was for getting to and from Harrisburg, or to committee meetings in Central Pennsylvania, according to House records.
Casorio, 37, D-Irwin, drives his own car and bills the state for mileage at 36.5 cents a mile, a price set by state House rules.
But in some months, he claimed reimbursement for driving almost 3,000 miles around his district, even though he was in Harrisburg most days of those months, and claimed a daily stipend of $124 a day, House records show.
In January 2001, for example, he was paid per diems for 16 days, and he billed the state for "other mileage" charges of $1,373, which is roughly 3,000 miles.
He claimed 20 days of per diems in June, and billed taxpayers $988 for driving around his district.
"It's all state-related mileage," he insisted. "There's no sleight of hand here. I have nothing to hide."
But an examination of other state representatives from the western part of the state who bill for mileage driven in their personal vehicles shows that no other lawmaker accrued mileage reimbursement close to that of Casorio.
The mileage bill for Democrat Gary Haluska to get around his Cambria County district last year was $6,470. Kenneth Ruffing, D-West Mifflin, had a $6,340 bill.
Paul Costa, D-Wilkins, charged $5,040, while Jeff Coleman, R-Apollo, billed $4,410. Joseph A. Petrarca, D-Vandergrift, was paid $4,400. Lawrence Roberts, D-Uniontown, was reimbursed $2,500 for "other mileage."
Tom Stevenson, R-Mt. Lebanon, claimed $42 driving around his district last year.
The vast majority of the driving done by lawmakers is to and from the state Capitol, not around their districts, said state Rep. Tom Michlovic, D-North Braddock, who drives a 3-year-old Chrysler Concorde leased through the state Department of General Services at $4,356 a year, including maintenance and insurance.
"The big trips are back and forth to Harrisburg," said Michlovic, who was first elected in 1978 and who is retiring at the end of the year. "Back home, that's a much smaller percentage of the mileage we do."
Casorio said he campaigned under a promise not to lease a car at taxpayers' expense, and he said he was losing money by not taking a lease.
"You don't get a state car. Why should I get a state car?" he said. "I'm losing money by not taking a lease car. I just paid $485 for new tires. I pay $1,200 a year in insurance. My car is 2 years old and has 104,000 miles on it."
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