Remember the flap last summer about the $700k Social Security staff conference at the luxurious Arizona Biltmore hotel? Reps. Johnson and Linder asked the SSA Inspector General to dig around and see what other deluxe conferences SSA runs for its staff. That led to further questions about speakers brought in address these conferences, and their expense specifically. Below is what SSA found about the top five most expensive speaker tabs for these staff “training” conferences. Far and away the number 1 was a “diversity conference” in Atlanta, in which the paid guests included – literally – a clown, as well as massage therapists and “a juggling stilt walker.”
Sadly, this is not made up, and paying for it does not create a “festive atmosphere” for taxpayers.
From a report issued by the Inspector General of the Social Security Administration:
The 2006 Diversity Conference was held in Atlanta, Georgia, and sponsored by the Social Security Administration (SSA) Headquarters and the Atlanta Region. Attendees, including employees, were required to pay their own travel and lodging expenses if they wished to attend. Attendees also paid a conference activity fee of $105 covering the reception on the first day and dinner the next evening. SSA paid travel expenses for a certain number of employees who were involved in the planning and execution of the conference, held one of several executive level positions, and/or held a position on one of six Advisory Councils. The budget for the conference was approximately $700,000.
The investigation found issues with the procurement of speakers and trainers, entertainment, and giveaways. For example, some items were purchased using the micro-purchase process rather than submitting a requisition to the Agency’s Office of Acquisition and Grants. In other cases, employees used split purchasing to circumvent the $2,500 micro-purchase threshold to acquire these items. In addition, questionable practices were used to pay transportation costs for the speakers hired to give presentations during the conference. The investigation also found SSA paid for other types of entertainment, including massage therapists, a juggling stilt walker, a strolling magician, a caricature artist, and a clown. This entertainment was justified by the conference planners as being necessary to help create a festive atmosphere at the conference.
As they say, the nation is in the very best of hands!
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