WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As the U.S. government grapples to find ways to trim the bloated federal deficit, a new report suggests officials might start with cutting out $16 muffins and $10 cookies.

"We found the Department (of Justice) spent $16 on each of the 250 muffins served at an August 2009 legal conference in Washington," said a DOJ Office of Inspector General report released on Tuesday.

The DOJ spent $121 million on conferences in fiscal 2008 and 2009, which exceeded its own spending limits and appeared to be extravagant and wasteful, according to the report that examined 10 conferences held during that period.

The review turned up the expensive muffins, which came from the Capital Hilton Hotel just blocks from the White House, as well as cookies and brownies that cost almost $10 each.

The department spent $32 per person on snacks of Cracker Jack, popcorn, and candy bars and coffee that cost $8.24 per cup at another conference, the report said.

The DOJ also spent nearly $600,000 for event planning services for five conferences, the document said.

A Justice Department spokeswoman said most of the gathering were held when there were no strict limits on food and beverage costs, adding the DOJ had taken steps since 2009 "to ensure that these problems do not occur again."

Word of the agency's extravagant spending drew a swift response from Capitol Hill.

Senator Chuck Grassley, the senior Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee which has oversight of the Justice Department, said the report was a blueprint for the first cuts that should be made by the "super committee" searching for at least $1.2 trillion in savings.

"Sixteen dollar muffins and $600,000 for event planning services are what make Americans cynical about government and why they are demanding change," Grassley said in a statement. "People are outraged, and rightly so."

I think people get 'outraged' too easily these days.

I mean, a coffee from the local starbucks is almost 5 dollars. Am I gonna be surprised or OUTRAGED at muffins which cost 15.. ? not really.

And then some cookies and muffins are WORTH every penny of ten dollars, depending upon their ingredients and freshness and the work put into it.

i still get muffins 6 for about 5 dollars, and i never pay over 1.50 for coffee... just because you think it is ok to pay that much for things, not everyone will agree with you. it is that kind of thinking that got our country this way to begin with... so go buy your 15 dollar muffins, you 5 dollars SB coffee, ypur not helping anything by doing so...

Ummmmmm...........

http://mingle2.com/topic/show/310993

like i knew you already posted that...not a big deal, you can have the credit, i don't mind

but the greatness of america is that AMERICANS have the choice,, and if they believe some things are a better 'quality' and are therefore willing to pay for them, its hypocritical to expect others to give up the same option to have quality.

I would never pay 200 for coffee because I dont drink coffee. But my point is I know plenty of CIVILIANS who do, so why would I be OUTRAGED if those in office choose to pay more than I would as well?

This is civil servants using tax dollars to make that choice for us . . . you really do not see the problem with a group of people who run the country being able to splurge at will and have no repercussions? You cant pay the bills I imagine you cut back on 15 dollar muffins? No? What if it was not your money? Oh that makes it easier.

My place of work does offer some things, drinks, coffee. Its the cheap stuff, you want expensive go buy it yourself.

The best muffins you will ever eat are made at a local pastry shop here, they cost $1.50 each.

I will not believe better muffins can be made, regardless of what ingredients you choose to use. The point is that the company offers it as a service, they are not taxing me, then giving me the service. They are also not about to buy gourmet coffee, nor sport us lunch at every opportunity.

A few weeks ago I thought there was a glimmer of hope for you but now you are hopeless.

the greatness of America will go down the toilet if this kind of attitude is so rampant in the government... the big difference there is that it is your money that your spending when you go buy 15 dollar muffins, not someone elses. the 500 dollar hammers, the 1000 dollar toilet seats, all that crap adds up, and the people in the government don't care because it is not their money...

the greatness of America will go down the toilet if this kind of attitude is so rampant in the government... the big difference there is that it is your money that your spending when you go buy 15 dollar muffins, not someone elses. the 500 dollar hammers, the 1000 dollar toilet seats, all that crap adds up, and the people in the government don't care because it is not their money...

IM not sure which jobs anyone else is accustomed to, but I have worked office jobs for over 20 years, and my employers have indeed had CATERED Functions which they paid for and they have also given appreciation type gifts which included anything from nice watches to very costly edible arrangements. So its nothing new to me, perhaps thats why its hard for me to feel outrage. I dont think the piece said they offered such things at work, I do believe it was referring to a FUNCTION they were attending.

Nope. I have just lived a bit and traveled even more. I understand that demographics and quality and a number of other factors affect the prices of many things. Next time you travel to DC, id suggest trying to stay anywhere NEAR the white house and see what kinds of prices you pay, let alone anywhere that is clean and safe,,,,

yeah, I think 1000 for a toilet seat is indefendable. 10 for a muffin is quite a stretch from that, in my opinion.

But like I said, Id recommend to anyone to travel to the NICE places or stay at the NICE hotels in Dc, and see what the prices are for themself. What was paid was probably very close to what is MARKET In the area they were having the conference.

As to my tax dollars, although I understand the sentiment, I think it is kind of cliche and overused. We have soldiers, for instance, that everyone ARGUES are all for our freedoms and rights and noone would begrudge ANY of them the best of facilities or any thing else that may be a little BETTER than the average citizen might have. THey dont get thest things usually, but noone would be so outraged if they did. What did someone else call it when I asked how someone who sells a soldier something is protecting my rights? 'SUPPORT' for the troops.


Likewise, politicians charged with running this country, having so many huge expectations and responsibilities, shouldnt be begrudged having QUALITY accomodations either when it comes to conducting business. AFter all, its supportive to give them environments where they feel safe and appreciated isnt it? perhaps some people think demanding that politicians stay in crappy places and have crappy facilities will make them work harder, I dont agree.

AS to our tax dollars, we have a BUDGET that is planned out for those dollars. there is hardly anything in the BUDGET That all AMERICANS would agree to spend 'their' money on personally, but thats the way it goes. Business people and politicians hold conferences for many reasons, to raise money or to go over goals or any number of reasons, that politicians do the same does not outrage me. If they traveled to ROME to do it , perhaps. But they traveled down the block and hit happens to be more costly there.

I have traveled to DC, sat in on congress, stayed in hotels near the capitol. I dont think a 10 muffin is so extreme a price in THAT area , so it doesnt outrage me that any hotel in that area sponsoring ANY convention would charge such rates.

that is the reason i do not stay in nice hotels, even at SOMEONE ELES"S DIME... the whole point to this is obummer talks a good game, and says it very nicely, then lets this crap go on. do they need 15 dollar muffins, or do they want 15 dollar muffins? Would they buy those 15 dollar muffins if the government didn't pay for it, or would they drive an extra mile to the grocery store and buy the 6 for 5 bucks? but i guess they are to good for that, they need the best of everything on the governments money...

yeah, still not gonna outrage me if its not a DAILY thing, for them to have a conference down the street and pay the prices that go with it, is reasonable to me.

and guess what, ALL citizens are taxed on earned income,, so that 'my tax' money that was spent on a muffin, may have just as likely been THEIR tax money too....

Politics: A strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles. The conduct of public affairs for private advantage. ~Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary,1911




Another quote comes to mind, I cannot seem to find the original, but it goes like this . . .. political office is a privileged not a career.

perhaps when people owned plantations and other income sources and living resources and the population to govern was in the thousands, instead of hundreds of thousands,,,,

having responsibility for others is always a JOB, most times a CAREER, and always worthy of some compensation,,,,

another story, hot to the press for sensationalistic value, becomes a non story quite quickly,,



cant believe I even fell for the bait myself in my previous comments defending 'muffin' purchases



WASHINGTON (AP) — The government did not pay $16 apiece for breakfast muffins at a Justice Department conference, no matter what the department's inspector general thinks.

So says Hilton Worldwide, which hosted the 2009 legal training conference in Washington. Even the IG's own report issued this week acknowledges that for the price paid, they also got some free fruit and drinks.

Hilton Worldwide, which manages and franchises hotels including the Capital Hilton where the conference took place, says the price included not only breakfast baked goods but also fresh fruit, coffee, tea, soft drinks, tax and tips. It says the report misinterpreted its invoices, which often use shorthand and don't reflect the full menu and service provided.

read more at: http://news.yahoo.com/16-muffins-no-says-hilton-004116135.html


reminds me of another hot story/topic about a whitehouse staffer saying how sexist the administration was

turns out she actually was saying how sexist it would be IF NOT FOR the presence of OBAMA....


,,
news, gotta love it,,

the actual sexism quote can be found here
http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2011/09/why-did-ron-suskind-misquote-anita-dunn

as they should be, in modern times, time is money