GSA’S VEGAS CONTROVERSY

As the old saying goes: “What happens in Vegas, STAYS in Vegas!” But that’s clearly not the case with a 2010 General Services Administration conference which recently became public and has angered the White House, embarrassed the agency and cost the career of a few top administrators.

The GSA is a federal agency designed to seek out and eliminate duplication and waste in public spending.  But apparently they didn’t believe those rules applied to them.  So they hosted an over-the-top $820,000 conference which featured designer fashions, expensive souvenir gifts for attendees, free flowing top-shelf cocktails and videos mocking the lavish spending of the entire event.

Video footage of the Vegas Bash, which was supposedly done in the name of “team-building,” was provided by an administration official last Friday.  It shows a celebration that included a mind reader, a clown, professional magicians and exotic food.  There was also an awards ceremony meant to be light-hearted and satirical, but was later determined to be tasteless.  During one portion, an “angry clown” talked about making work more challenging for other people. “Meetings are good to have in between breaks,” the clown declared. “Government — if you think the problems we create are bad, just wait until you see our solutions.”

Entitled “American Idle,” the video mockery of government spending, along with the agency’s overt choice to spend nearly one million dollars on frivolity has angered President Obama, since it clearly goes against his administration’s message of fiscal belt-tightening. Several GSA officials have already lost their jobs because of the convention, prompting an apology from the agency that comes 2 years too late.

“These videos reinforce once again the complete lack of judgment exhibited during the 2010 Western Regions Conference,” GSA spokesman Greg Mecher said. “Our agency continues to be appalled by this indefensible behavior, and we are taking every step possible to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again.”

Martha N. Johnson

When she was appointed in 2009, GSA chief Martha N. Johnson said “Ethics is a big issue for me. It’s right and it’s good business to be a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars because they’re trusting you with their pocketbooks.” Somehow, Johnson forgot those words upon stepping off the plane in Vegas.

In addition to her $2200 a night 2-level suite, Johnson authorized $5,600 for three semi-private catered in-room parties and $75,000 for a “team-building” bike exercise.  She also allowed the GSA to spend $95 per person for a dinner reception at the M Resort Spa and Casino; $19 per person for an “American artisanal cheese display;” $7,000 in sushi; $3,200 for a hired mind reader; $3,700 for T-shirts; more than $2,500 on water bottles; $8,130 for souvenir yearbooks and $6,325 for commemorative coins in decorative velvet boxes. Johnson resigned once the story of her agency’s spending spree went public.

So, this is how the agency, responsible for monitoring how our tax dollars are spent, spends our tax dollars???