  Mthouston Member Username: Mthouston Post Number: 872 Registered: 01-2006 |
Taxpayers sending 80 officials off to Hawaii Michiganders going to pension seminar say it's part of job From the Detroit Free Press http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs .dll/article?AID=/20070503/NEW S06/705030445 Yup, more of our tax dollars at work. | ||
The_rock Member Username: The_rock Post Number: 1737 Registered: 11-2003 |
This trip just confirms the time-honored adage: "There just ain't nothing better than having your foot in the public trough". | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 920 Registered: 10-2006 |
Honestly, how many businesses don't send some of their employees off to conferences? Sure there is always a chance that they would just goof off instead of really learn anything, but why should the state government not be able to send people to conferences as well? Just seems that this issue doesn't bother me all that much. | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 921 Registered: 10-2006 |
Also, shouldn't we be excited that Michigan sent so many people? Seems that the more we would send, the more we would stand to learn. | ||
Japes Member Username: Japes Post Number: 17 Registered: 02-2007 |
The cost is nothing considering your paying pensions of $100,000+/year. So while it is sad that many people are going the sad truth it is a drop in the bucket when you look at the pensions that some of these people receive. Guess the pensions administrators just want a little something for crunching and printing those weekly checks of $1900.00. | ||
Smogboy Member Username: Smogboy Post Number: 5096 Registered: 11-2004 |
Would there even be this furor if the conference were being held in Dubuque, Iowa?? | ||
Rjk Member Username: Rjk Post Number: 701 Registered: 11-2003 |
That begs the question, would 77 people from Michigan want to go to Dubuque, Iowa? | ||
Mthouston Member Username: Mthouston Post Number: 874 Registered: 01-2006 |
quote: Why should the people of Michigan have to pay for it? Don't you think that money is better spent in the community these people represent? | ||
Defendbrooklyn Member Username: Defendbrooklyn Post Number: 144 Registered: 11-2005 |
The major gripe is that its expensive to send people to Hawaii... I bet if the conference was held in Detroit about 3 people (from MI) would attend. | ||
Sstashmoo Member Username: Sstashmoo Post Number: 83 Registered: 02-2007 |
Why Honolulu? This sounds like a travel agency, city by city scam. Why didn't they hold it right here in Detroit, or any other continental city with facilities to sponsor it? Defendbrooklyn, I just read your post, spot on. 3 people is being optimistic. | ||
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1 Post Number: 9029 Registered: 10-2003 |
quote: Conferences are typically in nice locations. People wouldn't attend otherwise. quote: Easier to entice people to come to Hawaii for it. What surprises me is that it wasn't during the winter months when the weather wasn't bad. Most conferences that I've known to be in warm weather locations are held in the winter. May not be typical but that is my experience. | ||
Mikeg Member Username: Mikeg Post Number: 813 Registered: 12-2005 |
quote: The answer is that when times are good, many businesses do send their employees to conferences. And when profits tank, discretionary spending on things like conferences and training are the first things that are cancelled. As a manager, even during the good times, we always vetted the out-of-state conferences and strictly limited attendance, with the expectation that the approved attendee(s) give a report to management and to the others who could have benefited but were not approved to attend. Considering the severe budget problems all Michigan municipalities are currently facing, there is no justifiable reason for any spending on conferences in Hawaii - even if attendees offer to pay part of their costs like Mayor Kilpatrick has done. The taxpayers read about these junkets and they assume that it is "business as usual" and that the fiscal problems can't be as bad as everybody is making them out to be. (Message edited by Mikeg on May 03, 2007) | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 3109 Registered: 10-2004 |
Maybe two-thirds of Michigan's recent college grads will find work in Hawaii. | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 705 Registered: 04-2006 |
What surprises me is that they're holding a conference in Hawaii. That's a long way to go for nice weather... in May! | ||
Chitaku Member Username: Chitaku Post Number: 1333 Registered: 03-2006 |
companies that are in debt do not send many people to conferences | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 706 Registered: 04-2006 |
How about this... Have the conference in Detroit next year? Kill two birds with one stone, zero cost of attendance and influx of the much coveted convention dollars. | ||
Mthouston Member Username: Mthouston Post Number: 878 Registered: 01-2006 |
quote: Yup Mikeg, just another example of how out of touch the bureaucrats and elected official are in Michigan. (Message edited by Mthouston on May 03, 2007) | ||
Karl Member Username: Karl Post Number: 7232 Registered: 09-2005 |
As usual, those spending someone else's money could care less. In the private sector, these sorts of "meetings" are long gone, using the far-more-efficient online meetings, with all attendees staying at their desks with a can of soda or cup of coffee. These are a total suck of tax dollars for private vacations, with a meeting or 3 stuck in to justify the outrageous cost and completely inefficient use of time (of course, this doesn't count as "vacation" heaven forbid. The only situation where this is still used is to award salespeople for, as I've quoted before, "Nothing happens until something's sold." For the gravy-stained-tie peddler, from all of us in management: Enjoy your trip. You've earned it. All others: log onto your computers, and take your vacation on your own time/dime. | ||
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1 Post Number: 9033 Registered: 10-2003 |
I can't help but wonder why their isn't a pension office in Lansing that works with and for all of the different municipalities that have pensions. I sm guessing the pensions themselves can't be consolidated but managing them could have some centralized functions for things like this. | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 5861 Registered: 02-2004 |
Our tax money to King Kwame and the T.H.U.G. Mafia so that can go the Hawaii, stay at the King Kamehameha's Palace, suck on some Poi, going to a luau and pimp some Hawaii women. What a government waste! | ||
Kevgoblu Member Username: Kevgoblu Post Number: 4 Registered: 02-2007 |
It always sounds bad when conferences are in Hawaii, Florida, Las Vegas, etc. however these are the places that always have accomodations. The issue should be why is it vital that so many people, who mostly don't attend pension fund meetings, must now go? Get the number of attendees in line with other states and only send the people who legitamately need to go. | ||
Karl Member Username: Karl Post Number: 7249 Registered: 09-2005 |
Perhaps this would work: You can either attend the meeting at your desk on your computer, or you can pay your way to Hawaii and watch it live at the hotel (you get to pay your own hotel also) No one would go to Hawaii. | ||
Mthouston Member Username: Mthouston Post Number: 882 Registered: 01-2006 |
quote: Yup let them do it as a webinar.. | ||
Big_daddy Member Username: Big_daddy Post Number: 12 Registered: 11-2004 |
So what if Kwame is paying his own bill. Who do you think will pay for his merry gang of thugs who follow him everywhere? His police posse of protectors will surely go with him. I hear Hawaii is full of people who want to harm Hizzhonor. I hope the local TV guys will hound dog the attendees and follow with hidden camera. | ||
Higgs1634 Member Username: Higgs1634 Post Number: 67 Registered: 10-2005 |
http://www.theoaklandpress.com /stories/050407/loc_2007050489 .shtml L. Brooks nixes trip. Nice gesture, but would he have done it without all the negative press? Will others follow? | ||
Fredgarvin Member Username: Fredgarvin Post Number: 44 Registered: 02-2007 |
Here's a great idea for a local news undercover operation. Go to Hawaii undercover, and film Michigan attendees sunning themselves on the beaches and playing golf (on the taxpayer's money) while the meetings are occuring. How's that for a programming ideas this close to sweeps week? | ||
Brandon48202 Member Username: Brandon48202 Post Number: 173 Registered: 12-2004 |
I volunteer myself for this news assignment. | ||
Lowell Board Administrator Username: Lowell Post Number: 3844 Registered: 10-2003 |
Everyone is skipping the fine print. The tickets are all one way.  |
