Federal employees wasted over $145 million in taxpayer dollars by bumping themselves up to first-class seats. [NYT via Rick Seaney]
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That’s funny, because my sister-in-law is an assistant DA and she NEVER gets any perks like that. When she flies places, she gets coach. They give her really crappy hotels to stay in, too. Her only perk is that she gets slight discounts from hotels when she is footing the bill.
As a federal employee, I got all fired up about this post before I read the NYT article. Due to extensive travel required by my job, I have MVP status at Alaska Airlines. I get first class upgrades (bumped-up) for free without any cost to the taxpayer. This article doesn’t really apply to my situation.
It’s sad to see others in my Agency (the USDA) abuse their status, though. Though first and business class is available on the terrible travel website we are required to use, I never thought anybody actually purchased them. The waste is heartbreaking.
If I were to upgrade my flights for work, the office enforcer would verbally smack me upside the head and deduct it from my paycheck.
This makes me mad, especially considering that on my last business trip with the Govt, I was flying Southwest because that was the lowest cost.
Why aren’t these people finding their paychecks docked?
It would be interesting to find out who is most responsible for the abuse. The article mentions in particular a ‘political appointee’ as well as a Deputy Secretary, who would also be a political appointee.
Are the civil service employees equally culpable? Or is it mostly the Bush cronies who are living large?
Seriously, that is hardly a drop in the bucket compared to the everyday waste that is federal agencies.
@esqdork:
Which is exactly what should be done here.
So what? The Pentagon goes around losing $2 trillion.