They Should Have Gone to Costco

Have you seen this? Our tax dollars at work...spending $16 on a muffin and $32 for cracker jacks and candy bars (per person).

.. conference attendees received Cracker Jacks, popcorn, and candy bars at a single break that cost $32 per person, including service charges and indirect costs... [There was also] a "deluxe" ice cream assortment that cost $10 per person including service charges and indirect costs... When one event planner applied an approved 15-percent indirect cost rate to the price of food and beverages at a conference, the cost of one soda increased from $4.84 to $5.57.

Clearly, the people providing these services are friends of politicians. It's the only logical reason I can think of for allowing such outrageous charges for food that can be bought at Costco for less than $1 per muffin. And why do government conferences need to be so fancy? Have a secretary run to the grocery store. Even shopping at Whole Foods they'd spend less than these event planners charge.

I realize that a $16 muffin is small potatoes (so to speak) in the grand scheme of government spending. But I do think it's a symptom of the blatant disregard for watching costs and spending responsibly that most government officials have.

I remember working for the State and not caring one whit about what things cost...the more the better because the more it benefited us as employees.

It's wrong and should be stopped.