Posted on 01/13/2009 12:08:23 PM PST by NormsRevenge
In the “what a crock of guac!” department, we offer this:
The obscure, Irvine-based California Avocado Commission spent wildly and with few controls, dropping nearly $2 million on questionable credit card purchases and employee perks; lavish hotel stays replete with booze, body treatments, massages and facials; season tickets to Mighty Ducks and Angels games; remodeling an executive’s home office; and much more over a three-year period, according to a state auditor’s report.
The report, released Friday by the California Department of Food and Agriculture, recommends major tightening of internal controls, as well as seeking recompense from employees and former employees for personal purchases.
There were questionable charge card expenses of at least $1.5 million, and at least $345,799 of unnecessary employee benefit expenses, the audit said.
It happened on the watch of former Commission president (and current Saddleback Church global outreach leader) Mark Affleck (photo right), and blame is being laid at his feet.
“I’m extremely unhappy that we were hoodwinked. I think our good nature was taken advantage of by our former president and CEO,” said Avocado Commission Board Chairman Rick Shade. “I would like the people to know the board has seized control of this commission and is working very hard to make things right.”
(Excerpt) Read more at taxdollars.freedomblogging.com ...
1. Take box.
2. Blow up da box.
3. Find another box.
4. Repeat
I had no idea that avacado lovers were so wild and crazy. It seems I wasted my time on the Tequila Commission — we didn’t have good times such as these.
Hey, our Avo commission is like our Sheriff’s office and all the rest of the OC - BS.
Totally unaccountability.
BTW, all are waiting with baited breath for the jury on the Sheriff Carona issue they are deliberating on 6 counts.
Current over and under is hung on 5, guilt on 1 minor.
Off to appeals.
Wow, that’s the pits.
Were they avacado facials? If so, they may have been legitimate business expenses.
All I could ever get on was the Turnip Truck. And I fell off of it.
Wild and Crazy? You don’t know the half of it.
The Guacamole song:
Met her at the Mercado
She was buying avacados
Man... she really turned me on
She reached for my pepper
I grabbed her tomatoes
And I knew, it wouldn’t be very long
She went to the mesa
I grabbed my cerveza
I got the onions and lemon
And the way she looked at me
Man I could clearly see
It wouldn’t be very long
Guacamole! GUACAMOLE!
Guacamole! GUACAMOLE!
We’d me making Guacamole all night long
Guacamole! GUACAMOLE!
Guacamole! GUACAMOLE!
We’d be making Guacamole all night long
She headed for the light
I fell in right behind
Man... She sure looked good to me
She reached for her money
I said “wait a minute honey
I believe, this one is on me”
So we got in my pickup
We started to back up
And headed on down the road
We went to her casa
Tortillas de masa
And made guacamole all night long
Guacamole! GUACAMOLE!
Guacamole! GUACAMOLE!
We’d be making guacamole all night long
Guacamole! GUACAMOLE!
Guacamole! GUACAMOLE!
We’d be making guacamole all night long
We’d be making guacamole all night long
Avocado Commission? Who needs a stinking Avocado Commission, do we need to be told how to peel them, how to eat them, that they grow from a seed. What in the world does anyone, anywhere need an avocado commission for? The way taxpayers in this country are being treated is despicable!
I understand what you’re saying, but if it saves the life of just ONE avacado isn’t it money well spent?
;^)
Just like government - it is easy to spend money that does not truly belong to you.
how about not having a government run organization like this? Are avacado growers forced to join this monstrosity?
How do you get in on one of these scams...Oh yea, become a dem-O-rat.
Nevermind
“Avocado Commission? Who needs a stinking Avocado Commission, do we need to be told how to peel them, how to eat them, that they grow from a seed. What in the world does anyone, anywhere need an avocado commission for? The way taxpayers in this country are being treated is despicable!”
Can you say Industry Trade and Profesional Associations? Supported financially by members.
Cattlemen’s Association
Builders Institute of America (BIA)
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
etc.
“we’re in deep guacamole now,” they were heard to say. Gee, politicians and appointees being profligate with OPM - who could have seen that coming?
Obama will provide the solution.
We need a federal Department of Avaocados, to help subsidize all the State Avocado Commissions with federal tax dollars. Much like the Department of Education does for our public schools, or the Farm Bureau does for state agricultural commissions.
Federalization is the answer. After all, avocados are vital for the future of our economy, and no doubt they employ millions of illegal alien harvesters, so we need to bail them out.
It’s not been misspent, they were taste testing avocado martinis, avocado “mud” baths, avocado face packs, avocado enemas...
I suspect that the offspring of elected officials are rewarded with some salaries higher than they could get in the "real world" with these positions.
Didn't Monica Lewinsky get a 6 figure salary, right out of college, when Clinton bought her silence with a high paying job at one of Ron Pearlman's companies?
Oh, I thought it was a government organization, not a privately funded one. If it’s private let the people who support it clean house. And if they want to pay for such silliness it’s their call.
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