Odd Expenses Comment by AnnR

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

Dear Ann,

Oh how I hate to write.... but I must. Especially since I really disagree with your analysis and conclusions. ..... First, Mr. Anderson claimed mileage, hotel and daily food allowance expenses from SWSDA for January 30/31 ostensibly to attend meetings.

Questions!

1. Mr. Anderson produced no receipt for a hotel on January 30/31... although he claimed an expense for it. He did produce a receipt for January 26... but that was for the Yarmouth Exhibition Group who were booked in at the hotel as was Mr. Anderson from January 26 to 29 inclusive.

2. If Mr. Anderson was booked with the Yarmouth Exhibition Group January 26, 27, 28, and 29, why are the taxpayers in Shelburne who are funding SWSDA picking up bills for drinks, food, taxis and tips when it appears SWSDA business was only on January 30/31?

You know Dear AnnR... I agree with you that it makes perfect sense to attribute costs to funding sources when possible and they may overlap.... in that case allocating expenses clearly and fairly is important to avoid double-dipping and attribute costs to the right party.

However, I can assure you that had you submitted a claim like this to me and most of the managers I know, for your reported "Education Conferences " in another Province, I would have asked for clarification, justification and probably rejected all of the extra expenses claimed when you were not there working for the company that pays your wages.... in Mr. Anderson's case - SWSDA.

My next question would have been to our finance and personnel staff to identify how much to dock your salary for the days when you were not working for my organization but clearly for someone else.... in Mr. Anderson's case that may be difficult because we still don't know who Mr. Anderson works for besides SWSDA!

As I see it Dear AnnR, these are not insignificant issues and reflect badly on the quality of the administration of an organization, demonstrating once again SWSDA's abject failure to adequately supervise and manage staff.

You are of course entitled to your opinion.... but I believe you are woefully wrong.