Jul 01 2008
Easley Defends High Travel Bills
RALEIGH - Gov. Mike Easley said he wishes trips overseas weren’t so expensive, but that high travel bills are necessary if the state hopes to land big exhibits or recruit new business.
“It costs what it costs,” Easley said. “I wish it didn’t cost that much, but let’s be honest about it. A cheeseburger and onion rings is $60 over there. The dollar is very, very weak now. That is why we were over there, to get those Euros coming to the U.S. for tourism.”
Obviously he is exaggerating, but a cheesburger and onion rings aren’t anywhere even in the realm of $60. Try more like $11 or $12. He can possibly make the case that these trips may result in more dollars coming back in through international tourism than what we are paying out, but he still can’t defend the excessive expenses of them. Case and point:
Reporters pressed Easley on specific high-dollar bills such as a chauffeured Mercedes and fancy meals that included orders of leg of pheasant with homemade sausages and rabbit with black truffles and foie gras.
The cost of Mrs. Easley’s trip to Russia was $109,000. Mike Easley could have sent me there and I could have done it for under $10,000.
