Isn’t everyone? In these tight economic times, who wouldn’t want to get free gasoline? Well, if you’re a California lawmaker, you’re in luck!That’s the only state where the lawmakers get free gasoline. They’re given a charge card that they use to buy their fuel. When the bill comes in, it’s the taxpayers who have to pay it. If they were reimbursed for every mile instead of given free reign, there might be less of an expense for the taxpayers of that state; which is what some other states do. Some of them also require their lawmakers to be accountable for their spending or to use their own money for gasoline.

In the first seven months of 2008, $220,000 went to gasoline expenses for lawmakers. This gasoline is going in vehicles that are issued by the state, as well, so the lawmakers actually have no vehicle expenses at all. It’s something that most other states actually work to avoid.