Today's Daily Schadenfreude: Jeff Kottkamp

Yet another corrupt Republican in Florida government?! Say it ain't so!

Well, it is so ... at least according to an ethics complaint filed yesterday against Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp, who (allegedly) has been ringing up quite the tab for trips between Tallahassee and his Fort Myers home.

[The] complaint to the Commission on Ethics cited a law on "misuse of public position" that states no officers or employees can use their government jobs "to secure a special privilege, benefit or exemption."

Kottkamp vigorously protested figures cited in a South Florida Sun-Sentinel report that said his 365 flights during his first two years in office had cost taxpayers $425,000. The lieutenant governor reimbursed the Department of Management Services $6,600 for travel by his wife and son on state planes but said his own trips cost only $38,600 in 2007 and $48,000 last year.

Those costs were for Kottkamp's personal presence aboard the flights. The Broward County newspaper, however, cited DMS figures which included costs of flying planes empty between Tallahassee and Fort Myers to pick him up, along with travel costs of security officers and aides who accompanied Kottkamp.

The St. Petersburg Times ran a tab on Kottkamp's ground transportation, calculating that the Florida Highway Patrol spent about $64,000 in travel expenses for a captain assigned as his security officer and driver.

See, the problem isn't normal, reasonable travel. Rather, it's the extent to which officials like Kottkamp and former state House speaker Ray Sansom act like they're entitled to the special treatment they covet ... and that they charge to the taxpayers. You know, for people who claim to be all about reducing government spending, they're sure doing a lot of it ...

On the other hand, perhaps you can rationalize the spending, Jeff. Maybe, instead of all that travel, you can consider the nearly half a million dollars of taxpayer money as leading to this prestigious award. In that case, Mr. Lieutenant Governor, congratulations are in order, for today's Blast Off! Daily Schadenfreude is for you!