Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Doyle Defends Expensive Travel at Taxpayers’ Expense

Sounds like a nice perk.

Gov. Jim Doyle defended his commerce secretary’s travel expenses today, saying the job requires touting Wisconsin businesses in the United States and abroad.

“I want a commerce secretary that’s out promoting Wisconsin products,” Doyle told reporters today after announcing the state is buying more renewable energy.

The Journal Sentinel reported Sunday that Commerce Secretary Jack Fischer has frequently charged $80 dinners for himself to taxpayers while overseas. He also stayed one night in a hotel that cost $555.

[...]

Doyle said Fischer had paid back all personal expenses - including $520 in laundry and dry cleaning - that he initially charged to taxpayers. State rules say no personal expenses should be charged on state credit cards, even if employees intend to reimburse the costs.

Fischer has extended his state travel to include vacations. He has paid his own way on vacation time, but records show he has not fully documented whether extending the trips have increased costs for taxpayers with higher airfare or other costs.

Fischer has taken administrative assistant Deborah Godt with him on his three international trips. Previous commerce secretaries and Doyle himself have always traveled with higher-level staff.

You know what I would like to see?  Results.  Could Doyle please point me to a tangible outcome of these trips?

(5) Comments
Posted by Owen at 1731 hrs
Politics + Politics - Wisconsin

  1. results from foreign trips?

    please stay consistent and show me the results of every tom,dick and mcsame running off to iraq on photo ops?

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 09, 2008 at 1753 hrs


  2. I’m glad you agree.  Now let’s see Doyle show us the results.

    Posted by Owen on July 09, 2008 at 1823 hrs


  3. “I want a commerce secretary that’s out promoting Wisconsin products,” Doyle told reporters today after announcing the state is buying more renewable energy.

     

    Let the Wisconsin companies sell their products.  They have people trained to do it.  This is just a great job with all kinds of perks and no accountability.  R or D it doesn’t matter.  What matters is that Gov. Doyle is defending this kind of stuff

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 09, 2008 at 1825 hrs


  4. Doyle was able to convince people that attending the Final Four was official state business, given the idiots in the 2nd Floor State Capitol <strike>Press Release Reproduction Center</strike> Press Room, they’ll buy these excuses too.

    But honestly, where the heck is this guy going to dinner to charge the taxpayers $80?

    Also, widder, I think you own me an apology for one of your countless predictions…

    Posted by Kevin Binversie on July 10, 2008 at 1226 hrs


  5. Missing the bigger story here folks - this guy is taking so called “vacations” on the taxpayers dime, not turning in receipts, etc. etc.  Let’s ask him about his “vacations” with his executive assistant who happens to be a young buxom blonde.  Google her, then google his wife (a physician in Appleton who is not quite a 2 bagger but I certainly would prefer the buxom blonde) and then do the math.  It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what was going on here.  I’m sure Fischer will be resigning soon to “spend more time with his family” LOL

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 10, 2008 at 1347 hrs


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