As long as we're talking reasonable prices and quality, I'm throwing in my vote for
Posted on 04/15/2010 7:35:18 AM PDT by McGruff
Months after President Obama urged federal agencies last year to cut wasteful spending, the U.S. Department of State paid $3,814 to fill an order of Jack Daniel's whiskey for gratuities at one of its many overseas embassies.
The booze buy wasn't unusual.
Last year alone, the State Department sent taxpayers tabs totaling nearly $300,000 for alcoholic beverages — about twice as much compared to the previous year, according to an analysis of spending records by The Washington Times.
The purchases, small and large, included $2,483 to pay for "assorted spirits for gratuities to vendors" at the U.S. mission to the United Nations in New York, and $9,501 in "Christmas gratuities" of whiskey and wine at the U.S. Embassy in South Korea.
Taxpayer watchdogs say while accounting for a small fraction of the State Department's overall budget, some of the liquor expenditures reflect larger concerns about stewardship of federal tax dollars at a time when many recession-weary Americans find themselves struggling to hold onto jobs and pay mortgages.
"It's indicative of the disconnect that bureaucrats have when they spend our money," said David Williams, vice president of policy at the nonpartisan Citizens Against Government Waste.
State Department spokesman Noel Clay said such expenditures are permitted under law.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
They oversee overseas travel. The State Department issues passports. They also handle things like out of the country births, marriages, etc.
Embassies are the front lines for those wishing legal US entry. I don't know how much of that function they share with the actual immigration department.
Of all the things they could tag as "wasteful" government spending, a few thousand dollars on booze is beyond the bottom of my list of personal concerns. I would imagine they waste a whole lot more than that spending money on the stupid email spam, "The State Department is watching out for your interests", they like to make you sign up for, the embedded RFID broadcast chips - "I'm an American, kidnap me!" they put in passports now, etc.
Interesting. The resolution is too low to tell, though it has all the coloring of a package of Marlboro Lights.
I suspect I know the answer, but does anyone know for sure whether the anti-smoking regulations we all are subject to on air travel are applied to diplomats and other government travel?
I’m not sure, but are those “man hands” she is sporting?
As long as we're talking reasonable prices and quality, I'm throwing in my vote for
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