[ClaytonP]

$266/night x 365 = $97,000

Pure corruption on the part of whichever hotel owners had the in with the government.

[grania]

They could've been bought houses in poor areas in NJ and PA and brought into the city for work as necessary. It was an opportunity lost to refurbish some urban areas. This is yet another example of how government management has lost the ability to problem solve.

If first hit me how bad problem-solving skill has become during Katrina. McDonald's and some other food chains could've fed those people if put in charge.

[texas booster]

I would bet that the “prevailing wages” law was used to create such a payment system.

I think that GSA rates for the area are lower, so some type of services (cleaning, pools etc) may have been included.

Or we could just recognize that this city works best when two people can hand shake deals, with no oversight.