Budgeted money went to waste due to the intervention of a natural disaster, demanding the attention of those that planned to take the trip. This is a story?
I guess Pruitt was supposed to cancel Hurricane Harvey?
Scott, how hot does it have to get in the kitchen before you consider getting out.
The speed with which new examples of your venality ad profligacy spill out into the public are coming from inside your proverbial house. It’s only going to keep getting hotter.
Agreed. While Pruitt should be fired for his stupidity and mismanagement, this could not be helped. However, I question why a security detail was needed for top aides.
Pruitt owns 5% of Kevlar, Inc.
The security guys probably went along not to protect the aides, but to confer, converse, and otherwise hobnob with their brother security Ozzies.
The bigger question is why Pruitt was going to Australia in the first place. While there’s certainly an international component to the work of the EPA, I would expect the bulk of its business to be domestic. But jetting off to the Quad Cities doesn’t have much allure.
I’m all for righteous indignation, but what’s the story here? Meetings take money to conduct? Hurricanes happen? Sometimes unforeseen circumstances cause meetings to get cancelled? Doesn’t seem very newsworthy…
Depends, how much money did it normally cost for people to do this type of work. If previous admins spent a lot less on advance work like this then its a story, if not then its not.
Right. They partied met with representatives of Black Sabbath Security.
Who knew that the Environmental Protection Agency was an international agency, and not just a domestic one.
In fairness, remember that a lot of our environmental problems originate outside the U.S. Climate change isn’t entirely Made in America. But given Pruitt’s mission, which is to eliminate all regulation of all domestic pollution sources, his overseas travel is suspect, to say the least.
It is amazing how much money the government wastes on this kind of crap. My whole FAMILY went to Australia for a few weeks and it wasn’t anywhere NEAR $45,000…
You didn’t fly business class, I’ll wager. Roundtrip, IAD to SYD, runs about $5500 per person.
How much extra for bullet proof seat covers in business class these days?
Not to worry. Trump Airlines planes are all marble-clad, so they’re immune to small arms fire.
The expense of this junket isn’t really the issue. For a necessary trip, that number isn’t out of line.
The real issues here are:
-
Why was Pruitt planning to go to Australia in the first place? I don’t know anything about that, but I’m betting there was no need.
-
Assuming that the trip was necessary, why was any pre-planning for security needed? I guess it’s because of all those Cabinet Secretaries who have been assassinated in the past. I believe the tally of the carnage, since the founding of the Republic, is precisely zero. Pruitt has an exaggerated sense of his own importance, and an exaggerated sense of the danger he faces. Gee, someone might shout something nasty at him!
-
Assuming that the trip was necessary, and assuming that security arrangements were necessary, why did staffers have to go to Australia to work out the details? Have these folks never heard of Skype?
Fan blade proof is an upgrade.
Another good reason for sticking to the cheap seats back in steerage.
Let’s face it. Those bozos were not checking for the best business class prices, which a quick look at United runs $8000-9000 RT, $45,000 for a “party” of five. About 6x Economy class of $1500.
The EPA staffers’ business class flights to Australia were permitted as aides can fly business class for long flights…staffers were “adhering to the federal government’s travel policy.”
This could use some investigation. A Nearest and Dearest of mine is a Foreign Services employee. When they first started, there was a policy (sometime during Bush II - mid oughts?) that for flights over a certain number of hours - Australia would qualify - it was OK to take Business class. A couple of years in, the policy was changed. Everyone took coach even for the longest flights. Is this different for aides? Bet not.