But don't feel sorry for them. That's what they signed on for. That's why they call it "public service."

Plus, there's the potential for a parting prize, a mega-bucks bonus, should they choose to accept it. We're not talking about job offers or the opportunity to work as a lobbyist or the eternal gratitude of the taxpayers. We're talking about wads of leftover campaign cash, which, under Utah law, departing politicians are free to spend as they please.

If ever a law needed changing, this is it. Our state officeholders, including governors, can, upon their departure, use campaign funds to buy a new car, a boat, or a big-screen TV. So can unsuccessful candidates.

They can send their kids to college. They can put a down payment on a condo. They can pay off their mortgage. The only requirement is they must pay taxes on their windfall if they use it as personal income.

It's a perk, one that makes those $500 Jazz tickets look like small potatoes.

It's an aberration. The federal government, most state governments, even Salt Lake County government, prohibit the personal use of campaign funds.

And, as we see it, it's a misappropriation of funds. The money is given with the expectation of it being used to help the politician win an election, not furnish his house.

We're not the only ones who find this problematic. Karen Hale, a former state senator, tried and failed four times to outlaw the practice. This year, House Minority Leader Ralph Becker, D-Salt Lake City, proposed a bill to limit the personal use of campaign funds. It died in committee.

We want to make it clear that not all legislators use leftover campaign funds this way. Maybe none of them do. But the opportunity is there.

Federal officeholders, when they resign, retire or lose, have limited options when it comes to disposing of campaign money. They can pass it along to another politician's campaign fund, donate it to a charity or stash the cash for another run at public office. We think Utah's state legislators should be made to do the same.