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And I thought the govt doesn’t have money?
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Posted on Mar 17 2005
According to a recent article in the Marianas Variety, PSS and the Board of Education are giving two Marianas High School staff an all-expense paid excursion to the nation’s capital, spending over $8,500 in only two days (not including flight time, layovers, stopovers, etc.). I’m puzzled how two lower-level employees of the CNMI government are authorized to blow that much cash on a—here comes a bad word—junket (‘cause that’s what it is, right?) when even our very own governor is cutting back on these types of excursions (even though he did send the attorney general in his place).
I’m assuming the aforementioned employees are flying first-class, staying at a first class hotel (let’s say, the Watergate) and traveling to and from the convention via chauffeured limo. For $8,500 they better bring back a heck of a lot of souvenirs, seeing as their spending money runs to $1,350—each—per day! Sweet grandmother’s spatula! That’s a lot of “I (heart) D.C.” T-shirts! And a whole lot of mini-Lincoln Memorials and White House postcards, too!
Here’s a revolutionary idea: budget the trip! Whoa! You mean actually fly coach, stay at a youth hostel, and experience D.C.’s fine Metro subway system? And while they’re at it forgo the champagne and caviar and actually eat at Subway! Or Mickey D’s, you get the point. Basically, they’d only rack up around $4,000 or less. Can’t be done? Or can it? If they really have to, they can sell plate lunches on Beach Road or do car washes, that sort of thing. Like other school groups do to raise funds for off-island trips. And give the money back to PSS to buy books, school supplies, that sort of thing. Maybe remit some payments to their vendors.
Better yet, give me the $8,500 or so. I’ll spend it right here on Saipan. You see, I have not had a full time job in six months (what’s referred to in today’s job market as “long-term unemployment”) and could use that $8,500 (or the balance of $4,500 saved by the counselors flying coach) to pay rent, my car loan, groceries, gas, utilities etc. I’ll personally account for every penny of it, too. I might eat at Subway myself.
Rick Vaughn
Fina Sisu, Saipan
