As Americans, we dutifully wrote out our checks to the Internal Revenue Service this month, and many a sigh was heard as we signed, sealed and delivered our hard-earned money away for the upkeep of our schools, roads, hospitals—and oh, wait—the extravagant parties of government workers in Las Vegas.
As Americans, we dutifully wrote out our checks to the Internal Revenue Service this month, and many a sigh was heard as we signed, sealed and delivered our hard-earned money away for the upkeep of our schools, roads, hospitals—and oh, wait—the extravagant parties of government workers in Las Vegas.
In this economic downturn, finding that extra cash isn’t easy. Unless, of course, you’re a General Services Administrative official planning a conference. In that case, finding ways to spend our money wasn’t hard at all.
On April 2, GSA Inspector General Brian D. Miller released a report documenting one example of how the administration chose to distribute our earnings amongst its employees. The report shows how, in 2010, Jeff Neely, a regional official for the agency, which, ironically, is in charge of overseeing all federal administrative spending, used $823,000 of our taxes to pay for a four-day conference.
The event, held at an opulent hotel (M Resort Spa and Casino) included a mind-reader, numerous lavish in-room parties, two $30,000 receptions with cocktails and high-priced finger foods, commemorative coins and expensive souvenirs.
And that was just for starters.
Under federal regulations, agencies can pay for meals or “light refreshments” for employees at an official conference. Somehow, GSA officials understood that to mean they could charge up a tab of $146,527 on food and alcohol; with 300 employees in attendance, that totaled almost $500 per person—for four days. As if that wasn’t enough, the agency spent over $130,000 on just the planning of the event.
These numbers are disgusting. But what is most troubling is the blatant disregard for and actual flaunting of the role with which we have entrusted this administration—that of ensuring the proper, wise and ethical use of federal money.
Videos of employees mocking any oversight of the agency’s spending have now surfaced, including one with an employee being given a talent show award for his rap in which he jokes about spending frivolously and not getting caught.
That someone would receive accolades, no matter how jocular, for undermining everything the agency stands for is sickening. It would be like awarding doctors a prize for making as many mis-diagnoses as they could without anyone noticing.
This is extremely offensive and points to a systemic culture of impropriety and lack of accountability.
Not surprisingly, Neely has claimed his fifth amendment right not to testify in congressional hearings, but his boss, former GSA administrator Martha Johnson, took responsibility in a statement before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. She called the conference a “raucous, extravagant, arrogant, self-congratulatory event that ultimately belittled federal workers.”
Johnson resigned a few days before the final report was published, saying she wanted to send a message to the American people that this was unacceptable.
What is puzzling, however, is that this was not an altogether surprising twist in the saga of GSA’s mismanagement of funds. Johnson referred to a “badly managed” administration in 2010 when she took over its leadership and, according to CNN, figures showed that spending by the agency increased by close to 102 percent between 2006 and 2008.
It seems as though it was common knowledge that there was a gross lack of accountability within the department. If it was as badly managed as Johnson claimed, why was there not a thorough overhauling of the system?
The inspector general, Brian Miller, said at the hearings, “Every time we turn over a stone, we find 50 more…we just find one thing after another. And it’s difficult for me, even now, to say—to quantify it.”
GSA spokesman Greg Mecher must have thought he instilled great confidence in Americans when he pledged that, in light of the scandal, employees will now be required to take conference planning training. Whew, that’ll take care of it. That was the problem in this situation: not an environment of financial negligence, just a lack of training.
Employees don’t need conference-planning training. They need to know that the money they are spending is not theirs and that they should have to account for every dime. It is unconscionable that an excessive and reckless culture has been allowed to flourish in a government department when millions of Americans are struggling to feed their children.
There is no absolutely no excuse.
Congress voted to pass the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act on Wednesday, April 25, which, among other things, moved to slash federal agency spending by 20 percent—which will save hundreds of millions of dollars a year. If the Senate passes it into law, it would also put a $500,000 cap on conferences.
Half a million dollars still sounds like a ridiculous amount of money for one conference. Why, when the average American can stay at a Best Western and eat a continental breakfast, do government employees have to have champagne and caviar? Is this really sending a different message?
At the hearings, Congressman Trey Gowdy said, “I want indictments. That’s a great way to get people’s attention. Not a memo, not a report. An indictment.”
Let’s hope he gets what he wants, and let’s hope these officials get that message. This behavior is nothing short of theft from the citizens of this country, and government officials should know that they will have to answer to a judge if they abuse their position.
Maybe then they’ll think twice about throwing away our money. And if people like Neely experience the bitter taste of the law, hopefully it’ll wash away the flavor of all the cocktails and sushi we paid for.