So much for any hope that federal employees could be shamed into being tighter-fisted with tax dollars when doing the public’s business. According to a Government Accountability Office draft report, such workers burned through at least $146 million in a year buying unauthorized business- and first-class airline tickets. Some of the worst abusers were in the State Department. The report already has Congress vowing tighter rules, which obviously are needed. “The federal employees who like to stretch their legs while they fly need to realize they’ve already stretched the taxpayer’s purse by $146 million,” said Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
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8 Comments
Very simple- tell them that the next time they fly first class will be the last day of their jobs. This is a bad management problem.
I read that these Federal Employees were flying first class because they felt they ‘deserved’ the perk.
In that article only Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., and Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa. What! No Democrats?
What about members of Congress? I hear most of them fly coach, unless you are the privilege rich, who actually own their own jets, but of course expense them out to the tax payers. Or Nancy Pelosi who will use an entire Jumbo Jet from the Air Force to fly her, her staff and her family, regardless if she is on board or not at the cost of millions per year.
Surprise! Big Government is not shy about spending taxpayer money.
They spend it like it’s THEIR money.
And the Socialists want more of this.
“And the Socialists want more of this.”
They are doing so well with MediCaid, MediCare and Social Security.
Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are facing $10+ Trillion Dollar shortfalls in the next 20 years, and we see in the headlines:
$146 Million for excess airfare
BFD
Ignore the elephant in the room, just swat at the flys in the room.
But how many Republicans get social security, medicare and medicaid? Do you really think you can take away these benefits from the ‘little’ people when we ‘little’ people know exactly what the fat cats are getting?
As for social security, medicare and medicaid – if we were not allowing illegal immigrants to get benefits, then how much of that would be in those shortfalls?
I’m not saying that these programs are not broken and need fixed, but let’s not hang them just on the Democrats neck – there are alot of Republicans gouging at the same government trough.
I know the controls they had in the Air Force when flying commercial and it still managed to be abused.
Every once in awhile, you would read in the base newspaper, Judge Advocate section how someone received a letter of reprimand, article 15 etc. for abusing the travel system or unauthorized use of government funds.
There were a few legit reasons for flying first class, like those carrying a classified pouch or those with medical conditions – broken leg and couldn’t sit in coach.
What is this? The all wise government wasting money? Oh say it isn’t so!