Legal program for poor curtails expenses (Your tax dollars at work Alert)

Associated Press ^ | December 19, 2006 | Larry Margasak

[Zakeet]

WASHINGTON - Those $70 lunches and $14 "Death By Chocolate" desserts are gone from the executive menu at the government's legal aid program for the poor. Expensive hotels, limousine services and first-class travel will become rare or disappear, too.

The Legal Services Corp. has decided to change the generous expense policies for its top officials, yielding to pressure from members of Congress and the federal program's independent watchdog.

The Associated Press highlighted in a series of stories in August and September how the program's executives spent freely while many poor Americans — in need of legal help — were being turned away at clinics across the country because the program lacks sufficient money.

Among the costs that got lawmakers and the inspector general steamed: Corporate directors and top officials received $18 breakfast servings and $13 "high tea" services in ritzy hotels. Directors shunned the agency's own spacious conference room for an upscale hotel a few minutes away.

Legal Services is financed with tax dollars but given special status as an independent federal corporation, meaning it did not have to follow government-wide expense guidelines.

After the outcry over its spending, the program decided to reign itself in by voluntarily imposing the same expense limits as federal workers.

[Zakeet]

Who could have known that the type of individuals attracted to a career with the Lawyers Full Employment Act -- a terrible piece of legislation specifically enacted for the purpose of enabling the goons to create mischief -- would ever think of screwing the taxpayer?

Fortunately, AP casts some reassurance when they quote one source as saying, "It looks like the Legal Services Corporation learned its lesson ... I hope $14 cookies and limo rides around town are a thing of the past."

[Mercat]

My first job out of law school in 1978 was with Legal Aid. My unit did municipal court defense work. I earned $18K. We would show up every morning at the city courthouse and get a stack of tickets, spend at most five minutes talking to a client and either plead the ticket out or get bumped to the heel of the docket to have a trial of 5 - 15 minutes. It was really good training. I got over being shy really fast. I learned that I was often there so that the court could constitutionally send someone to jail. I never got any perks.

[DeaconBenjamin2]

The perks are all for the clowns/political appointees in Washington.

[Lord Basil]

It gets them prepared for elective office by getting them used to wasting taxpayer's money.

[speedy]

$13 "high tea" services in ritzy hotels

I want to know where you can get a high tea service in a swank hotel for thirteen bucks. Most places I've seen you're looking at at least $35-$50 per. They must have been skipping the cucumber sandwiches. See, these guys were actually saving the public money, they should be commended.