Can one really call themselves one of the people when they spend nearly US$18 thousand a month on food?
Well, that's exactly how much suspended president, Dilma Rousseff, spent from January to May 2016. Of course, Rousseff's use of populism should have been put into question earlier as her popularity hovered around 10% before her ouster.
It's bad enough that the president and her Worker's Party (PT) claim to fight for the downtrodden and weak, but to spend the equivalent of 77 minimum salaries on her own food budget is just ridiculous.
Ms. Rousseff's food budget was recently suspended by intern president, Michael Temer.
Not surprisingly, Ms. Rousseff is not alone. Nor is this something new in Brazil, though, these are far from justifications for Ms. Rousseff's abuse of the taxpayer money. Judges, magistrates and politicians regularly receive thousands of reais per month for food and housing, even though, they are the members of society least in need of the money.
The issue of using taxpayer money when it is not needed is more than a moral issue. These "perks" cost taxpayers billions of reais per year meaning less and less money is spent on needed social services, such as health care and security. Moreover, the diversion of government monies for those least in the need of them means less money for investments in research and development and entreprenauership.
Read more about Dilma Rousseff's abuse of public money at InfoMoney (in Portuguese)
Suspended President Has Big Appetite
