In Virginia, Gov. Bob McDonnell is reimbursing the Commonwealth for $2,400 worth of food taken from the executive mansion by his college-aged children over a three-and-a-half year period.
Why does this matter? Easy: It raises an interesting point about the extent to which government (at all levels) relies on taxpayers to feed elected officials and bureaucrats.
We don’t have exact figures, obviously, but it’s a safe bet governments across America spend tens of millions of dollars – possibly even hundreds of millions of dollars – on food. For example, the food and beverage service for Amtrak – government’s passenger railway system – lost $84.5 million during the 2011 fiscal year (and $833 million over the last decade).
Ridiculous …
Government needs to get out of the train business, clearly. But it also needs to get out of the “feeding politicians and government employees” business.
Seriously … taxpayers shell out huge six-figure salaries and generous benefit packages to these employees. Is it too much to ask that they pay for their own meals?
In our benevolent dictatorship, food reimbursements to politicians and bureaucrats would be outlawed. We don’t get a free lunch … neither should our leaders.
Especially not when we are paying them two and three times what most people across the country are making …
***
55 comments
Yep Yep. Welfare is Welfare.
In typical fashion, Sic Willie finds one example and then paints whole multitudes of people with the same brush. Does the Post Office serve lunch to your mail carrier? Do civilian employees at Fort Jackson get free meals at government expense? When the Charleston Naval Shipyard was open, ARAMARK ran dining facilities where workers could BUY food at their own expense. Many workers brought their lunch from home. So where is all this “free food” at government expense Sic Willie is talking about?
The part that is not free is being stolen!
As far as normal government employees go, it seems like the only thing they get are those occasional meals like the ice cream socials, hot dog cookouts, or barbeque catering, etc. If that’s happening only once or twice a year, big whoop. If the employees themselves are the ones contributing food, then it really is negligible.
I would imagine most of these free meals would end up going to the legislators who expense their shit, or maybe the upper heads of various agencies (who already tow in fairly large paychecks, mind you).
In typical fashion, Sic Willie finds one example and then paints whole multitudes of people with the same brush. Does the Post Office serve lunch to your mail carrier? Do civilian employees at Fort Jackson get free meals at government expense? When the Charleston Naval Shipyard was open, ARAMARK ran dining facilities where workers could BUY food at their own expense. Many workers brought their lunch from home. So where is all this “free food” at government expense Sic Willie is talking about?
The part that is not free is being stolen!
As far as normal government employees go, it seems like the only thing they get are those occasional meals like the ice cream socials, hot dog cookouts, or barbeque catering, etc. If that’s happening only once or twice a year, big whoop. If the employees themselves are the ones contributing food, then it really is negligible.
I would imagine most of these free meals would end up going to the legislators who expense their shit, or maybe the upper heads of various agencies (who already tow in fairly large paychecks, mind you).
As usual, Sic Willie ignores the points and questions that have been brought up before on his claim of salaries being 2 and 3 times what most people make. First you have to compare apples to apples. I know that is a difficult task for Sic Willie as it would screw up his little stories. Show me a comparison, job to job, that supports your allegation. So a federally employed journeyman pipefitter is paid 2 to 3 times more than a non federally employed journeyman pipefitter of equal qualifications?
Sic Willie has been asked before if he was knowledgeable of the system that sets wages for federal employees. He never answers. That is because he doesn’t or it could be because he does and knows it would destroy his thesis.
I thought you were only fun to poke during football season. Left-wing loon, check. Clemson devotee, check. What more can one ask?
Asking for truth from the purveyor of misinfornation, Sic Willie, means I am a left wing loon? Interesting perspective. So are you a right wing loon or just a plain ole ordinary loon?
I’m looney enough to despise the self-important, self-serving, disingenuous, egotists who choose a lifetime of public “service” as a f’ing CAREER. Still looking for an honest one.
They can’t get there without us. As Pogo said, we have met the enemy and they is us.
As usual, Sic Willie ignores the points and questions that have been brought up before on his claim of salaries being 2 and 3 times what most people make. First you have to compare apples to apples. I know that is a difficult task for Sic Willie as it would screw up his little stories. Show me a comparison, job to job, that supports your allegation. So a federally employed journeyman pipefitter is paid 2 to 3 times more than a non federally employed journeyman pipefitter of equal qualifications?
Sic Willie has been asked before if he was knowledgeable of the system that sets wages for federal employees. He never answers. That is because he doesn’t or it could be because he does and knows it would destroy his thesis.
I thought you were only fun to poke during football season. Left-wing loon, check. Clemson devotee, check. What more can one ask?
Asking for truth from the purveyor of misinfornation, Sic Willie, means I am a left wing loon? Interesting perspective. So are you a right wing loon or just a plain ole ordinary loon?
I’m looney enough to despise the self-important, self-serving, disingenuous, egotists who choose a lifetime of public “service” as a f’ing CAREER. Still looking for an honest one.
They can’t get there without us. As Pogo said, we have met the enemy and they is us.
No mention of the $120K in unreported corporate “donations” made to McDonnell? That’s a bigger deal than the $ he gave back for his kids’ meals.
No mention of the $120K in unreported corporate “donations” made to McDonnell? That’s a bigger deal than the $ he gave back for his kids’ meals.
Amen, cant vote em out, can’t pass term limits, starve em out :-)!
They get so much free food from lobbyist and other special interest: Med Assoc, Assoc. Counties, Municipal Assoc, Chiropracters, Dental Assoc, Beer Assoc, Liquor Dist., School Boards, Hospital Assoc, Professional Engineers Assoc, Trial Lawyers, etc., etc. You get the idea!
Ever see one who looks hungry and under fed?….NO.
Look at all of the pounds Haley and company carry around.
Look at pictures of when they firsst get elected and then after having been in office for a while! They are carrying around many more pounds and NONE are poor. They all seem to be much better off financially after a short time in office.
#Look at haley’s funny money from Lexington Hospital and Wilbur Smith! And there may be more we know nothing about.
#After getting elected didn’t the peelers get some very lucritive milk contracts with the public schiil system?
#leathermans concrete contracts with Dept of Highways!
#Bauer’s lucritive land sales to Dept of Highways.
#Harrells medicine contracts for his pharmacutical business.
# Many have consulting contracts, etc. This is why they could not get Haley on ethics violations. THE FOX GUARDS THE HENHOUSE!
Amen, cant vote em out, can’t pass term limits, starve em out :-)!
They get so much free food from lobbyist and other special interest: Med Assoc, Assoc. Counties, Municipal Assoc, Chiropracters, Dental Assoc, Beer Assoc, Liquor Dist., School Boards, Hospital Assoc, Professional Engineers Assoc, Trial Lawyers, etc., etc. You get the idea!
Ever see one who looks hungry and under fed?….NO.
Look at all of the pounds Haley and company carry around.
Look at pictures of when they firsst get elected and then after having been in office for a while! They are carrying around many more pounds and NONE are poor. They all seem to be much better off financially after a short time in office.
#Look at haley’s funny money from Lexington Hospital and Wilbur Smith! And there may be more we know nothing about.
#After getting elected didn’t the peelers get some very lucritive milk contracts with the public schiil system?
#leathermans concrete contracts with Dept of Highways!
#Bauer’s lucritive land sales to Dept of Highways.
#Harrells medicine contracts for his pharmacutical business.
# Many have consulting contracts, etc. This is why they could not get Haley on ethics violations. THE FOX GUARDS THE HENHOUSE!
Let’s not forget about that repugnant goon Debbie Wasserman Schultz crying about her staffers not getting their free surf and turf luncheons due to the sequester. Boo f*cking Hoo!
No shit. Documentation?
Oh shit that’s funny.
http://washingtonexaminer.com/rep.-jim-moran-complains-budget-cuts-will-cost-him-a-100000-aide/article/2524837
” I need another 100 grand. My kid won’t staff for me”
BBBWWwwahahaahhahahahhahaahaha
Who could possibly retain an appetite, having to work around that disgusting woman?
Let’s not forget about that repugnant goon Debbie Wasserman Schultz crying about her staffers not getting their free surf and turf luncheons due to the sequester. Boo f*cking Hoo!
No shit. Documentation?
Oh shit that’s funny.
http://washingtonexaminer.com/rep.-jim-moran-complains-budget-cuts-will-cost-him-a-100000-aide/article/2524837
” I need another 100 grand. My kid won’t staff for me”
BBBWWwwahahaahhahahahhahaahaha
Who could possibly retain an appetite, having to work around that disgusting woman?
Just serve politicians bologna sandwiches. They’re used to bologna as it is and it is pretty cheap.
Bologna is too substantial for these cretans, I say offer them something from the Carl Buddings line of lunchmeat and a cup of ramen noodles.
Carl Buddig and ramen noodles. My blood pressure is approaching that of the Macondo well before it ruined the Gulf of Mexico and BP.
I love an Oscar Mayer (all beef) bologna and ketchup sandwich,but always have to remind myself how to spell the word,’bologna’.Wassup wit dat?
Just serve politicians bologna sandwiches. They’re used to bologna as it is and it is pretty cheap.
Bologna is too substantial for these cretans, I say offer them something from the Carl Buddings line of lunchmeat and a cup of ramen noodles.
Carl Buddig and ramen noodles. My blood pressure is approaching that of the Macondo well before it ruined the Gulf of Mexico and BP.
I love an Oscar Mayer (all beef) bologna and ketchup sandwich,but always have to remind myself how to spell the word,’bologna’.Wassup wit dat?
Have you looked at the US Deficit???…you F*#@in Dumb@$$…
When I was a state employee I used to go to Okla. City for seminars. The F.A.A. has the main field office located there.
There were (late ’70s) a number of cafeterias under one roof (Mexican, Italian,Sub, meat and three,etc.) You could get anything for less than half it would cost in the ………
………Private Sector ! No one left the (large) Center or brought their lunch.
When FITS was Ace-Boon-Spooner for Sanford, he was caught peddling influence to score a Sports Car…
Government workers are Theives. Sometimes openly and proudly…Sometimes sneaky and dishonest, like FITS and Sanford…
and all the government employees who worked there had 6 figure salaries as implied by Sic Willie, right?
Hmmm,no but people who would not be hired in the private sector at anywhere near the $$ and benefits they made.They all thought they were “public servants” who would be filthy rich in real life?Uh,sorry,no.
I remember hearing a joke out there;Q) How is a federal employee like a gun without a trigger?
A) Neither will work because you can’t fire either one.
Help me understand. This was a regional FAA office. No government employees who worked there ever did any work. So how did inspections get done, air traffic controlled, etc.?
What’s to understand. Someone steps up and he/she must be a liar because they don’t fit your mold(y brain)
As usual you miss the point. All individuals or groups of individuals do not fit in these neat little boxes that you and those of your ilk create. Find me a large enterprise in which there are no slackers whatsoever.
But all Repuklicrats do, right?
No. I didn’t describe the FAA accurately accurately . It’s a large facility where they do tests on planes, train the air controllers ,etc.
A large FAA Center under the Dept. of Transportation. Also pipeline,(oil and gas) , and other depts.,agencies, etc.
A lot of people who were training or getting trained.
Of course there are some who “work” but a helluva lot of collateral baggage just wasting $$$ and think they are necessary.
Not hardly.
When I was a state employee I used to go to Okla. City for seminars. The F.A.A. has the main field office located there.
There were (late ’70s) a number of cafeterias under one roof (Mexican, Italian,Sub, meat and three,etc.) You could get anything for less than half it would cost in the ………
………Private Sector ! No one left the (large) Center or brought their lunch.
and all the government employees who worked there had 6 figure salaries as implied by Sic Willie, right?
Hmmm,no but people who would not be hired in the private sector at anywhere near the $$ and benefits they made.They all thought they were “public servants” who would be filthy rich in real life?Uh,sorry,no.
I remember hearing a joke out there;Q) How is a federal employee like a gun without a trigger?
A) Neither will work because you can’t fire either one.
Help me understand. This was a regional FAA office. No government employees who worked there ever did any work. So how did inspections get done, air traffic controlled, etc.?
What’s to understand. Someone steps up and he/she must be a liar because they don’t fit your mold(y brain)
As usual you miss the point. All individuals or groups of individuals do not fit in these neat little boxes that you and those of your ilk create. Find me a large enterprise in which there are no slackers whatsoever.
But all Repuklicrats do, right?
No. I didn’t describe the FAA accurately accurately . It’s a large facility where they do tests on planes, train the air controllers ,etc.
A large FAA Center under the Dept. of Transportation. Also pipeline,(oil and gas) , and other depts.,agencies, etc.
A lot of people who were training or getting trained.
Of course there are some who “work” but a helluva lot of collateral baggage just wasting $$$ and think they are necessary.
Not hardly.