Investigation: 140 Census Bosses Took Vegas Trip

CBS4 ^ | Sep 20, 2010 | Brian Maass

[george76]

the U.S. Census Bureau sent 140 administrators from Colorado and nine other Rocky Mountain and southwestern states to Las Vegas for several days to discuss "lessons learned" from the 2010 census that could be applied in the next census in 2020. The trip cost an estimated $100,000 in airfare, meals and hotel costs and is coming under withering criticism from a Colorado congressman.

"It's impossible to argue this without saying these folks took a vacation and they took it at taxpayer expense," said Rep. Mike Coffman, a Republican congressman from Colorado. "I mean I think it's the equivalent of theft," said Coffman, who insisted the Census Bureau could have saved taxpayers money by gathering the same information from administrators by conducting online and written surveys, phone conferencing and a host of other data-gathering methods that would not involve congregating in Las Vegas.

"You need to be respectful of taxpayers.

[Sacajaweau]

I’ll bet it cost a lot more than that.

[wildbill]

What’s wrong with meeting in Washington where they work?

[Cicero]

The One was just trying to jumpstart the Las Vegas economy after having badmouthed it several times earlier.

[KarlInOhio]

I hate to defend the government, but $700 each for a closeout meeting after a major project isn't all that much. Now whether it could have been held somewhere less "distracting" than Las Vegas, by video conference or with fewer people (everyone in Colorado meet and then a couple of Colorado representatives go to the national meeting) is open to question.

[jospehm20]

The point to me is that Barky said businesses had better not be going on junkets to Vegas, but apparently gubmint O-holes can.

[lone star annie]

No way should any government employee have a party on the tax payer dime. If you want to do that work for the private sector that supports everything, and then earn your party.

[cruise_missile]

I thought Obama said that corporate CEO’s shouldn't jet to Las Vegas.

I guess it's OK if you're in the government.

Ever hear of skype, webinar, internet or e-mail.

I guess Michelle Obama is probably sure to be there too.

Boondoggle!

[agere_contra]

Interesting!

Here in the UK the average cost of a closeout meeting is I guess about 200 GBP (=300 dollars) per person. That’s travel, location hire and a hotel room for a night in some non-glitzy locale like Norwich.

If we hired strippers and went to a Vegas Cabaret then I guess it would get more expensive :0)

[AngelesCrestHighway]

“lessons learned”?????

Perhaps they can take a lesson on how to find a job after November.....

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

This is par for the course when it comes to government agencies——all the senior managers go to one big conference after another in some exotic locale and live it up on the taxpayer dime, never once thinking about having their meetings in their own plush DC offices and conference rooms.

[silverleaf]

thank heavens they werent insurance executives traveling on shareholder dollars

sarc

[CodeToad]

Government employees used taxpayer funds to attend a resort hotel. That is theft of public funds and it should be prosecuted as such. Jail time for those employees.