Posted on 01/12/2017 7:24:47 AM PST by Cheerio
Audit finds workers plowing streets didn't receive bonus pay for 9 months
District of Columbia workers billed taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars to dine out during Winter Storm Jonas last year in violation of federal law, according to a new audit.
While the government paid for D.C. desk workers to eat at local restaurants such as Ted’s Bulletin and Matchbox during the blizzard, workers plowing the streets were not given bonus pay until nine months after the storm.
The government spent $521,857 on hotels and $145,193 on food for employees during Jonas, the January 2016 storm that blanketed the district in 17.8 inches of snow. The amount spent on hotels and food surpassed what the district spent on trash collection, fuel for snow removal, and heating repairs during the two-day storm.
The report released by the Office of the District of Columbia Auditor found the expenses violated federal appropriations law, which prohibits funds being used for free food or lodging for employees without authorization. Government employees must be working 24-hour shifts in emergency situations for an exemption under the Home Rule Act. District employees were not.
If federal laws were violated, then someone in the chain, who authorized these payments, needs to face charges. But I expect someone will shrug, act like it is no big deal, and get on with their video game or whatever they do to pass the time at work.
No big deal. OPM.
What a scam, living and working in DC, yet get put up in a hotel, plus meals. Nice while it lasts...
What’s with this “winter storm Jonas” business? Now we are naming snowstorms just as we name hurricanes??? Really??
What’s next? Give a name to all the random summer thunderstorms which happen around the country_? Give names to passing cold fronts which cause a change in the weather??
Opulent and careless spending by the oligarchy.
And after Disney Boy Bands at that.
DJT should appoint a waste and fraud czar.
I’m a little conflicted on this. The actual storm hit around 6pm. I was in DC that day and left around 3-4. Made it home just as the storm began. But it was a whopper. If certain employees needed to be on site, it’s ok for the employer to pay their lodging and expenses.
But, if supervisors said if you’re too scared of the snow, we’ll cover you, that’s wrong.
Most restaurants would have closed so hotel restaurants might have been the only choice.
These were office bees who had nothing to do with the storm (most of them, anyway). It’s not the government’s problem to feed them, on or off the clock, unless they’re working 24 hour shifts. That the poor shlubs actually out working didn’t get their pay for almost a year, while these drones were stuffing their faces with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of grub, makes it even worse.
I doubt any laws were violated, expensing a hotel room and meals when trapped due to weather for work isn’t anything unusual. All this shows is that DC is an ungodly expensive place to eat and stay in hotels in.
From the article: “....The report released by the Office of the District of Columbia Auditor found the expenses violated federal appropriations law...”
“If federal laws were violated, then someone in the chain, who authorized these payments, needs to face charges. “
Yes, and these kinds of flagrant abuses by our public employees need to start being held to account. The fact that these cretins seemingly have no interest in spending public money lawfully, they need to be prosecuted. Like the GSA people were a couple of years ago. Only when a few are punished will the rest get the idea that the public’s tolerance for this kind of theft is at an end and they will be next if they steal our money.
Never heard of this storm. Which singing brother got the honor.
Are DC government workers that stupid not to stay home in such weather? Yeah, redundant. Gotta get the freebies.
Yup. And take away the govt. credit cards from these leeches.
I stand corrected & agree!
Yes, a czar of any corruption. It is time. And that person gets to examine all receipts, etc. Question anybody. Have access to a lawyer to gets honest answers to questions.
Then when corruption is found (like eating on the “gov” who feeds on us or $10,000 toilets), let the shtf.
Let the bells ring!
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