Zien's motorcycle riding pays off
Senator claims mileage at higher car rates
By PATRICK MARLEY
pmarley@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Oct. 1, 2005
Madison - When Sen. Dave Zien (R-Eau Claire) hops on his Harley-Davidson for state business - as he routinely does - he bills taxpayers at twice the rate other state employees do.
Mileage Reimbursement
Sen. David Zien, an Iron Butt Rally participant, was reimbursed $23,332 over a 2½-year period for mileage.
Quotable
The guys who are making the rules are ignoring them themselves.
- Larry Legro,
state X-ray inspector who frequently travels
Who can be critical of someone driving an American motorcycle made in Wisconsin?
- Sen. Dave Zien,
(R-Eau Claire)
Mileage reimbursement records show that over a 2 ½ -year period, Zien was reimbursed about $7,500 more than a rank-and-file employee driving a motorcycle would have received.
Zien claimed about $15,000 in mileage reimbursement in the spring, summer and fall of 2003 and 2004 and April through June of 2005, the records show. Another state employee could claim only half that amount because the state reimburses motorcycle use at half the vehicle rate because motorcycles can get 45 miles to the gallon or more.
During that period, the rate was 32.5 cents for vehicles and 16.2 cents for motorcycles.
Zien consistently claims the higher rate, even when he drives a snowmobile on state business, he said. He said he saw nothing wrong with that practice.
"Who can be critical of someone driving an American motorcycle made in Wisconsin?" he said.
Zien is an ardent motorcyclist who has participated in Iron Butt competitions, including one where he drove more than 31,000 miles in 31 days and hit 48 states in eight days. During that 2003 ride, he returned to the Capitol almost weekly for state business, he said.
While state rules for most employees set reimbursement rates for motorcycles, the Senate policy manual does not explicitly mention them, saying only that senators get 32.5 cents a mile when driving "privately owned automobiles." Zien said Senate rules allow him to collect that rate for any vehicle.
Zien said he should not have to take a lower rate, instead arguing that other state employees who ride motorcycles should get more money.
"They should all be treated the same," he said.
Larry Legro, a state X-ray inspector who frequently travels, said lawmakers "just don't get it" by not following the same standards as other employees.
"The guys who are making the rules are ignoring them themselves," he said.
Legro said it is unfair that lawmakers are reimbursed for many of the trips from their homes to the Capitol, even though the state does not pay employees for commutes to their offices.
Higher rate defended
Zien said his bike gets about 35 miles to the gallon, but disputed that operating a motorcycle is cheaper than a car. He said he has spent $4,300 on repairs in the past five weeks.
At least one of his colleagues takes a different view. For about two years, Sen. Robert Cowles (R-Green Bay) has claimed just half his miles in travel because he now drives a hybrid car that gets 50 miles a gallon.
Cowles said that the Senate policy should be updated so fuel-efficient vehicles receive lower reimbursements.
Visitors to the Capitol often take notice of Zien's 1991 Harley-Davidson FXRT, which has an American flag and "Don't tread on me" flag hanging off its back. It is decorated with poems and sayings, including one that reads: "Pro God, pro family, pro gun, pro flag, pro guts, pro fun, pro USA."
Zien catalogs on the side of his bike the date he hits 100,000 mile increments. The motorcycle now has 805,000 miles on it.
Zien, who has been in the Legislature since 1989, typically drives more than 2,500 miles a month on state business. Few of his colleagues routinely drive even half that amount.
He said he puts so many miles on his bike because he travels around his district to meet constituents. His district, which includes parts of eight counties, is much larger than Milwaukee-area Senate districts, but smaller than the largest districts in rural areas.
On Saturday, Zien traveled to several communities in his district to meet constituents, as he does once every month. He said Saturday afternoon he expected to put 400 miles on his bike during meetings that would stretch late into the night.
"I would like anyone to follow me," he said. "I'm a workaholic. I thrive on 16-hour days, 18-hour days."
The Journal Sentinel reviewed monthly travel records for Zien from January 2003 through June 2005. Records for October 2004 were not available, and records for July 2003 were unclear. In that month, no mileage was recorded, but a note on the reimbursement form says "drove to San Francisco" next to a notation for $352.80 in airfare.
Senate Majority Leader Dale Schultz (R-Richland Center) could not be reached for comment.
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