Posted on 01/16/2016 12:09:35 AM PST by Olog-hai
Traveling around the world on the U.S. taxpayers' dime can be quite a profitable experience for federal employees, thanks to extremely generous per diem reimbursement rates set by the Department of State.
Generous maximum per diems mean travelers to most countries can afford to lodge in five-star hotels and spend more than $100 a day on meals and incidentals. They can also spend up to 300 percent of their max per diem rates with advanced approval, usually for special events like the G8 Summit, which can mean more than $1,700 per day for lodging and meals. [...]
Federal employees staying in Mumbai, India, for instance, can spend up to $389 a night on lodging, plus $126 for meals and incidentals. That compares to the $130 average cost of a five-star hotel in Mumbai, according to the travel booking site Travelocity. TheDCNF couldn't find a single five-star hotel in Mumbai that cost more than $275 on a Saturday night in February, one of Mumbai's cooler months. ...
(Excerpt) Read more at dailycaller.com ...
They get the bread; we get the circuses.
Sununu got lambasted for going to a stamp collector gathering on public dime...
...and years later it is common accepted practice.
Another reason why Trump and Cruz terrify the federalistas. A common-sense government tells them to Skype their meetings.
The people always got the bill back in Roman days too. And no shortage of media circus.
>>couldn’t find a single five-star hotel in Mumbai that cost more than $275 on a Saturday night in February
But big city hotels are often much cheaper on the weekend.
State Department allowances are pretty lush for a fact. We use the same allowances in our contracts for companies we have worked for because they are well documented and established. The hardship and hazard allowances are dang lush on top of the allowances. You can make out like a bandit in most places. A 35% uplift is not uncommon for a person to live in an area that is top shelf for some of the countries.
On the other hand, have you ever shopped at an expat store for groceries instead of living off of the economy in a place like Cameroon or Nigeria or Burkina Faso? Five dollars for a can of tomato soup is a good deal.
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