Something for MWEG to look into

[Scott Lloyd]

I might be referring this to Mormon Women for Ethical Government for them to weigh in on, but for now I'll submit it here for consideration.

Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic speaker of the house, ran up a tab of more than $101,000 for "in-flight services," including food and liquor, all at taxpayer expense, of course.

https://www.wnd.com/2010/01/123472/

[Duncan]

Is she Mormon? why would they look into that? 

[rongo]

Trump and Kavanaugh aren't Mormon. By this logic, they shouldn't care about them, either, right?  

[Duncan]

4 minutes ago, rongo said:

Trump and Kavanaugh aren't Mormon. By this logic, they shouldn't care about them, either, right?  

or they could look into Trump's million scandals like the latest one being half a billion tax fraud, seems like his dad helped him out than he let on, "self made millionaire" 🤑

[Scott Lloyd]

1 hour ago, Scott Lloyd said:

I might be referring this to Mormon Women for Ethical Government for them to weigh in on, but for now I'll submit it here for consideration.

Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic speaker of the house, ran up a tab of more than $101,000 for "in-flight services," including food and liquor, all at taxpayer expense, of course.

https://www.wnd.com/2010/01/123472/

To put this in perspective, $100,000 was the purchase price of my house when I bought it 25 years ago. She spent all of that and more on "in-flight services" over the past two years.

 

[Bernard Gui]

11 minutes ago, Scott Lloyd said:

To put this in perspective, $100,000 was the purchase price of my house when I bought it 25 years ago. She spent all of that and more on "in-flight services" over the past two years.

 

Sounds ethical to me. Gotta wine and dine those special interest people, no? What seems to be the problem?

I haven’t followed Mweg, but I’m sure they are concerned about ethics on all side of the aisle. 

[The Nehor]

Well, I assume if they did investigate they would go beyond a clickbait article and check the facts behind it before making the accusation.

https://www.factcheck.org/2010/03/pelosis-party-plane/

Still, who wants to check the facts before bearing false witness against someone? It is not like God ever gave instructions covering that situation.

Edited October 4, 2018 by The Nehor

[bluebell]

This is a really old item.  It was being discussed back in 2010, I think long before the MWEG existed.  

Fact check (factcheck.org) has a more thorough and accurate explanation-

The conservative group Judicial Watch obtained 2,000 pages of receipts and expense reports for speaker travel under the Freedom of Information Act. The group says these demonstrate Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s “boorish demands for military travel” are “more about partying than anything else.” Based on that, the conservative WorldNetDaily ran an eye-popping but inaccurate headline that said, "Taxpayers pay $101,000 for Pelosi’s in-flight ‘food, booze.’ " Claims of Pelosi’s extravagant liquor bills spread from there through any number of blogs and chain e-mails, which sometimes attribute the in-flight costs of entire delegations to Pelosi alone on her flights between Washington and her district in California.

But Judicial Watch is wrong in several respects. Our examination of the documents reveals that Judicial Watch overstated the amount of money spent on “in-flight expenses” for Pelosi’s congressional delegations, or CODELs. Furthermore, Judicial Watch, a watchdog group that describes itself as "conservative," failed to compare Pelosi’s costs with those of the previous speaker, Republican Dennis Hastert, even though the Air Force handed over documents covering CODELs that he led, as well as those led by Pelosi. And the fact is that Hastert’s travel, as represented in Judicial Watch’s own documents, was comparable to Pelosi’s.

The general complaint from Judicial Watch and those picking up the story is that Pelosi spent Air Force money on travel, both for herself and for members of her family. This is partly true. The Air Force pays for some of what members of Congress eat and drink on CODELs — at least, as long as they’re in U.S. territory. Lt. Col. Almarah Belk of the office of the secretary of defense told us that the Air Force covers food and beverage expenses while the CODEL is on U.S. soil, and until members reach their first overseas location. After that, members of Congress reimburse the Air Force for their meals both in-flight and on the ground, either from their State Department per diem or out of pocket. Spouses’ and family members’ meals and lodgings are always reimbursed. Among the Judicial Watch documents is an accounting for each CODEL, showing how much money the Air Force laid aside in advance (often much more than the trip actually cost), how much was spent, how much was collected later, and how much was returned to the Air Force.

WorldNetDaily said that Pelosi spent more than $100,000 for "food [and] booze." That’s false. The total includes expenses other than "food and booze," though it’s certainly true that international CODELs routinely show receipts for hundreds of dollars worth of top-shelf alcohol — brands like Maker’s Mark, Courvoisier, Grey Goose and Bombay Sapphire. Pelosi herself does not drink alcohol, her staff told us, but she’s not the only member of Congress on these trips. The ones who do drink are well-supplied.

The documents also show receipts for hundreds of dollars in food purchases, often from the bulk store Sam’s Club or from the Andrews Air Force Base commissary. (It’s worth noting that, according to Pelosi’s staff, food and beverages left over after a trip are stored for future travel.) Snack items usually include cereals, fruit, chips and candy. Most of the CODELs in Judicial Watch’s sheaf of documents do not provide itemized receipts for the food used to make in-flight meals, but the one that does (a Pelosi CODEL from February 2009) lists provisions including tilapia, lasagna and fancy cakes.

Judicial Watch calculated that Pelosi’s CODELs spent precisely $101,429.14 over two years for what it calls “in-flight expenses." We asked Judicial Watch for an explanation of its accounting, and the group sent us a spreadsheet that covered three of the nine Pelosi CODELs represented in its documents, plus 47 speaker shuttles to and from Pelosi’s home district. From the three CODELs it covers, it’s clear that Judicial Watch is counting as “in-flight expenses” any non-reimbursable Air Force expenditure besides transportation costs. That category actually includes all non-plane costs of the trip, including baggage fees, meeting room rentals and refreshments, and, frequently, good-will lapel pins — as well as meals, ground transportation and lodging in U.S. territory.

Here's the whole thing for those who want to read it.

[cinepro]

2 hours ago, Scott Lloyd said:

I might be referring this to Mormon Women for Ethical Government for them to weigh in on, but for now I'll submit it here for consideration.

Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic speaker of the house, ran up a tab of more than $101,000 for "in-flight services," including food and liquor, all at taxpayer expense, of course.

https://www.wnd.com/2010/01/123472/

The only rational explanation I can find for this post is that someone has hacked Scott's account. 

 

[Scott Lloyd]

12 minutes ago, bluebell said:

This is a really old item.  It was being discussed back in 2010, I think long before the MWEG existed.  

Fact check (factcheck.org) has a more thorough and accurate explanation-

The conservative group Judicial Watch obtained 2,000 pages of receipts and expense reports for speaker travel under the Freedom of Information Act. The group says these demonstrate Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s “boorish demands for military travel” are “more about partying than anything else.” Based on that, the conservative WorldNetDaily ran an eye-popping but inaccurate headline that said, "Taxpayers pay $101,000 for Pelosi’s in-flight ‘food, booze.’ " Claims of Pelosi’s extravagant liquor bills spread from there through any number of blogs and chain e-mails, which sometimes attribute the in-flight costs of entire delegations to Pelosi alone on her flights between Washington and her district in California.

But Judicial Watch is wrong in several respects. Our examination of the documents reveals that Judicial Watch overstated the amount of money spent on “in-flight expenses” for Pelosi’s congressional delegations, or CODELs. Furthermore, Judicial Watch, a watchdog group that describes itself as "conservative," failed to compare Pelosi’s costs with those of the previous speaker, Republican Dennis Hastert, even though the Air Force handed over documents covering CODELs that he led, as well as those led by Pelosi. And the fact is that Hastert’s travel, as represented in Judicial Watch’s own documents, was comparable to Pelosi’s.

The general complaint from Judicial Watch and those picking up the story is that Pelosi spent Air Force money on travel, both for herself and for members of her family. This is partly true. The Air Force pays for some of what members of Congress eat and drink on CODELs — at least, as long as they’re in U.S. territory. Lt. Col. Almarah Belk of the office of the secretary of defense told us that the Air Force covers food and beverage expenses while the CODEL is on U.S. soil, and until members reach their first overseas location. After that, members of Congress reimburse the Air Force for their meals both in-flight and on the ground, either from their State Department per diem or out of pocket. Spouses’ and family members’ meals and lodgings are always reimbursed. Among the Judicial Watch documents is an accounting for each CODEL, showing how much money the Air Force laid aside in advance (often much more than the trip actually cost), how much was spent, how much was collected later, and how much was returned to the Air Force.

WorldNetDaily said that Pelosi spent more than $100,000 for "food [and] booze." That’s false. The total includes expenses other than "food and booze," though it’s certainly true that international CODELs routinely show receipts for hundreds of dollars worth of top-shelf alcohol — brands like Maker’s Mark, Courvoisier, Grey Goose and Bombay Sapphire. Pelosi herself does not drink alcohol, her staff told us, but she’s not the only member of Congress on these trips. The ones who do drink are well-supplied.

The documents also show receipts for hundreds of dollars in food purchases, often from the bulk store Sam’s Club or from the Andrews Air Force Base commissary. (It’s worth noting that, according to Pelosi’s staff, food and beverages left over after a trip are stored for future travel.) Snack items usually include cereals, fruit, chips and candy. Most of the CODELs in Judicial Watch’s sheaf of documents do not provide itemized receipts for the food used to make in-flight meals, but the one that does (a Pelosi CODEL from February 2009) lists provisions including tilapia, lasagna and fancy cakes.

Judicial Watch calculated that Pelosi’s CODELs spent precisely $101,429.14 over two years for what it calls “in-flight expenses." We asked Judicial Watch for an explanation of its accounting, and the group sent us a spreadsheet that covered three of the nine Pelosi CODELs represented in its documents, plus 47 speaker shuttles to and from Pelosi’s home district. From the three CODELs it covers, it’s clear that Judicial Watch is counting as “in-flight expenses” any non-reimbursable Air Force expenditure besides transportation costs. That category actually includes all non-plane costs of the trip, including baggage fees, meeting room rentals and refreshments, and, frequently, good-will lapel pins — as well as meals, ground transportation and lodging in U.S. territory.

Here's the whole thing for those who want to read it.

My bad. I didn't notice the date on the item, which first came to my attention on a Facebook feed.

 

[Walden]

3 minutes ago, Scott Lloyd said:

My bad. I didn't notice the date on the item, which first came to my attention on a Facebook feed.

 

Facebook is going to be the death of American Democracy

[Bernard Gui]

1 hour ago, bluebell said:

This is a really old item.  It was being discussed back in 2010, I think long before the MWEG existed.  

Fact check (factcheck.org) has a more thorough and accurate explanation-

The conservative group Judicial Watch obtained 2,000 pages of receipts and expense reports for speaker travel under the Freedom of Information Act. The group says these demonstrate Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s “boorish demands for military travel” are “more about partying than anything else.” Based on that, the conservative WorldNetDaily ran an eye-popping but inaccurate headline that said, "Taxpayers pay $101,000 for Pelosi’s in-flight ‘food, booze.’ " Claims of Pelosi’s extravagant liquor bills spread from there through any number of blogs and chain e-mails, which sometimes attribute the in-flight costs of entire delegations to Pelosi alone on her flights between Washington and her district in California.

But Judicial Watch is wrong in several respects. Our examination of the documents reveals that Judicial Watch overstated the amount of money spent on “in-flight expenses” for Pelosi’s congressional delegations, or CODELs. Furthermore, Judicial Watch, a watchdog group that describes itself as "conservative," failed to compare Pelosi’s costs with those of the previous speaker, Republican Dennis Hastert, even though the Air Force handed over documents covering CODELs that he led, as well as those led by Pelosi. And the fact is that Hastert’s travel, as represented in Judicial Watch’s own documents, was comparable to Pelosi’s.

The general complaint from Judicial Watch and those picking up the story is that Pelosi spent Air Force money on travel, both for herself and for members of her family. This is partly true. The Air Force pays for some of what members of Congress eat and drink on CODELs — at least, as long as they’re in U.S. territory. Lt. Col. Almarah Belk of the office of the secretary of defense told us that the Air Force covers food and beverage expenses while the CODEL is on U.S. soil, and until members reach their first overseas location. After that, members of Congress reimburse the Air Force for their meals both in-flight and on the ground, either from their State Department per diem or out of pocket. Spouses’ and family members’ meals and lodgings are always reimbursed. Among the Judicial Watch documents is an accounting for each CODEL, showing how much money the Air Force laid aside in advance (often much more than the trip actually cost), how much was spent, how much was collected later, and how much was returned to the Air Force.

WorldNetDaily said that Pelosi spent more than $100,000 for "food [and] booze." That’s false. The total includes expenses other than "food and booze," though it’s certainly true that international CODELs routinely show receipts for hundreds of dollars worth of top-shelf alcohol — brands like Maker’s Mark, Courvoisier, Grey Goose and Bombay Sapphire. Pelosi herself does not drink alcohol, her staff told us, but she’s not the only member of Congress on these trips. The ones who do drink are well-supplied.

The documents also show receipts for hundreds of dollars in food purchases, often from the bulk store Sam’s Club or from the Andrews Air Force Base commissary. (It’s worth noting that, according to Pelosi’s staff, food and beverages left over after a trip are stored for future travel.) Snack items usually include cereals, fruit, chips and candy. Most of the CODELs in Judicial Watch’s sheaf of documents do not provide itemized receipts for the food used to make in-flight meals, but the one that does (a Pelosi CODEL from February 2009) lists provisions including tilapia, lasagna and fancy cakes.

Judicial Watch calculated that Pelosi’s CODELs spent precisely $101,429.14 over two years for what it calls “in-flight expenses." We asked Judicial Watch for an explanation of its accounting, and the group sent us a spreadsheet that covered three of the nine Pelosi CODELs represented in its documents, plus 47 speaker shuttles to and from Pelosi’s home district. From the three CODELs it covers, it’s clear that Judicial Watch is counting as “in-flight expenses” any non-reimbursable Air Force expenditure besides transportation costs. That category actually includes all non-plane costs of the trip, including baggage fees, meeting room rentals and refreshments, and, frequently, good-will lapel pins — as well as meals, ground transportation and lodging in U.S. territory.

Here's the whole thing for those who want to read it.

I’m glad to see that cleared up.

I flew from Seattle to SLC today. Got my 2 free cookies and half-cup of Diet Coke. I think they got those at Walmart.

I ordered some Maker’s Mark, Courvoisier, Grey Goose and Bombay Sapphire for me and the partiers sitting around me, but was told me that would cost me extra.

Baggage fees on Air Force jets? Really? My bag cost $25. 

Edited October 4, 2018 by Bernard Gui

[Scott Lloyd]

4 minutes ago, Bernard Gui said:

I’m glad to see that cleared up.

I flew from Seattle to SLC today. Got my 2 free cookies and half-cup of Diet Coke. I ordered some Maker’s Mark, Courvoisier, Grey Goose and Bombay Sapphire for me and the partiers sitting around me, but was told me that would cost me extra. 

Baggage fees on Air Force jets? Really? My bag cost $25. 

You could come in quite a bit under a $100,000 tab and still be on the "outrageous" side of the spectrum.

Edited October 4, 2018 by Scott Lloyd

[ttribe]

42 minutes ago, Scott Lloyd said:

To put this in perspective, $100,000 was the purchase price of my house when I bought it 25 years ago. She spent all of that and more on "in-flight services" over the past two years.

 

To be "fair"...$100,000 25 years ago is worth $136,276.40 today...so, really she only spent 74.11% of the cost of your house on food and liquor over a two year time period.  😁

[bluebell]

5 minutes ago, Bernard Gui said:

I’m glad to see that cleared up.

I flew from Seattle to SLC today. Got my 2 free cookies and half-cup of Diet Coke. I think they got those at Walmart.

I ordered some Maker’s Mark, Courvoisier, Grey Goose and Bombay Sapphire for me and the partiers sitting around me, but was told me that would cost me extra. 

Baggage fees on Air Force jets? Really? My bag cost $25. 

It's more than just baggage fees.  It's ground transportation, meeting room rentals, refreshments for meetings, meals while on the ground, and lodging (all for more than one person) over the course of two years.  

[Scott Lloyd]

2 minutes ago, ttribe said:

To be "fair"...$100,000 25 years ago is worth $136,276.40 today...so, really she only spent 74.11% of the cost of your house on food and liquor over a two year time period.  😁

Fortunately for me, the appreciation in value of my home has outpaced inflation by quite a bit over the past quarter-century.

[bluebell]

3 minutes ago, Scott Lloyd said:

You could come in quite a bit under a $100,000 price tag and still be on the "outrageous" side of the spectrum.

Probably, but I don't know that we can just look at that number and say that it was extravagant, especially when you consider that we are talking about more than just baggage fees. That amount also includes ground transportation, meeting room rentals, refreshments for meetings, meals for everyone in the party while on the ground, and lodging (all for more than one person) over the course of two years.

All family and personal expenses are reimbursed to the government as well, and we don't know what was reimbursed (if anything) out of that amount back to the tax payers.  

[Bernard Gui]

17 minutes ago, bluebell said:

It's more than just baggage fees.  It's ground transportation, meeting room rentals, refreshments for meetings, meals while on the ground, and lodging (all for more than one person) over the course of two years.  

I was specific about baggage fees. On an Air Force jet? Like tips for the AF grunts who carry the bags from the limo to the cargo hold?

Edited October 4, 2018 by Bernard Gui

[Bernard Gui]

19 minutes ago, Scott Lloyd said:

You could come in quite a bit under a $100,000 tab and still be on the "outrageous" side of the spectrum.

I don’t know about that. Baggage fees keep going up and up and up. Congresspeople have a lot of baggage to deal with. 

Edited October 4, 2018 by Bernard Gui

[Scott Lloyd]

9 minutes ago, Bernard Gui said:

I don’t know about that. Baggage fees keep going up and up and up. Congresspeople have a lot of baggage to deal with. 

🤣

 

[Robert F. Smith]

38 minutes ago, Bernard Gui said:

I’m glad to see that cleared up.

I flew from Seattle to SLC today. Got my 2 free cookies and half-cup of Diet Coke. I think they got those at Walmart.

I ordered some ................. Courvoisier, .....................

[Bernard Gui]

3 minutes ago, Robert F. Smith said:

I was going to invite you to my birthday party again this year, but after being reminded here about what happened last year, I think maybe you shouldn’t come.

Edited October 4, 2018 by Bernard Gui

[Robert F. Smith]

3 hours ago, Scott Lloyd said:

I might be referring this to Mormon Women for Ethical Government for them to weigh in on, but for now I'll submit it here for consideration.

Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic speaker of the house, ran up a tab of more than $101,000 for "in-flight services," including food and liquor, all at taxpayer expense, of course.

https://www.wnd.com/2010/01/123472/

Compare that right or wrong figure with the cost of Trump's golf excursions while President:  https://www.cheatsheet.com/money-career/trumps-56-million-in-golf-trips-cost-by-extravagant-cost.html/ .