Why Alabama Legislators Have Shiny Shoes

From the Tuscaloosa News:

While the state General Fund suffered last year, pay supplements of more than $717,000 were paid by the Senate to employees, including $5,000 to a shoeshine man...

Some of those receiving taxpayers’ money in addition to a shoeshine man were drivers, private secretaries of senators in their home districts, legislative assistants and press release writers, records show...

The shoeshine man is not among those receiving state money so far this year, according to the state comptroller’s office. No one in [Senate President Pro Tem Lowell] Barron’s office or anyone else’s office last week seemed to know who authorized the shoeshine man to be paid with state dollars or why he was paid.