Thursday, April 30, 2009

IT WASN'T A FREE LUNCH!

-------- Your tax dollars at work ---------

QUESTION - Should core funding contributions by municipalities be used to buy dinner at political rallies?

Amongst the documents produced by SWSDA showing the travel expense claims of SWSDA's CEO is a handwritten note claiming $250 for eight dinner tickets for dinner with the Premier. Who in the world approved this expense and/or attendance at this event?

Did the Board of Directors know about this, or did Mr. Anderson do this on his own?Were any of Board members beneficiaries of the eight dinner tickets reportedly purchased by Mr. Anderson and claimed as a travel expense? If they were, who were they. If they were not, who were the eight people who had dinner with the Premier at taxpayers expense?

This is one of those expenses where one has to wonder if this $250 expense produced any development benefits for our communities. If it did, what were those benefits. Other logical questions include the following.

a) Should SWSDA funds be used to attend political events?
b) If the answer is yes... which political events should be attended?
c) Should political events held by the government be the only ones attended or should SWSDA pay to attend events held by all parties?
d) Who should decide which events to attend and who should attend?

Of course, I am assuming this dinner with the Premier was a political fund-raising event. Is it possible that it was a development meeting that ran over and dinner was brought in? Naw.....

Unfortunately there is no official receipt, so it is difficult to tell from the handwritten note what the money really was for or even where the event took place.

Any Directors interested .... curious.... determined to get this kind of financial contribution for the political party they support?

Makes you wonder what people are thinking ... doesn't it?

5 comments:

jim someone said...

We need a good and honest, and hard working development authority around here. The offical board does not seem to understand that.

Anonymous said...

If SWSDA seems to be hiding information, or they are not making statements about their activities, it would seem they are really hiding something. They should be open about what they do and how they spend tax payer money.

Anonymous said...

Anderson and Ralston MacDonnel have turned their focus to Yarmouth, they are up to no good.

Anonymous said...

Am I the only poster who feels SWSDA's CEO shouldn't be attending political party functions? It seems risky having the CEO known to be a Tory supporter, with the chance of the NDP or Libs winning in this election.

Is the CEO safe in keeping this position with a change in government, or can he be removed with just cause?

Anonymous said...

Anon, "or can he be removed with just cause?"

If I had submitted claims like Frank I would have lasted at my job one month if that.

The N.S. Gov Travel Expense Act:
"...fraudulent irregularity in the travel expense claim submitted by an employee, or any other misuse or misappropriation of funds, will result in disciplinary action, which may include termination..."

Bye Frank, your days are getting numbered. Be sure not to let the door hit you in the $#% on your way out!