Miami Florida

lizette m asked:


By Megan O’Matz | South Florida Sun-Sentinel
4:39 PM EST, December 8, 2008

Governor, can you spare $430,000?

The Florida Democratic Party wants Gov. Charlie Crist to repay the state that amount for a trade mission he took this summer to London, Paris, St. Petersburg and Madrid.

The Sun Sentinel reported Sunday that Crist’s trip, originally estimated at $255,000, actually cost taxpayers $430,000 for more than two dozen people who went along, including a spokeswoman, a photographer, four aides, two agency heads and nine bodyguards. Businesses paid the governor’s expenses, a total of about $30,000 that included an $8,000 first-class airline ticket and four nights in a London hotel suite at $2,179 a night.

“This news comes at the same time you are calling on Floridians to make sacrifices and ordering government agencies to cut spending,” former congresswoman Karen L. Thurman, Florida Democratic Party chair, wrote in a letter to Crist. “With tours of Buckingham Palace and visits to the Eiffel Tower on your agenda, it was clear at the time that your trip served as a taxpayer-financed vacation. While some positive results may come from the trip, the lavish accommodations and first class travel were beyond excessive.”

Related links
View Gov. Crist’s overseas schedule and details about the hotels where he stayed
Photos of Gov. Crist’s July Trade Mission Trip Photos
Read a statement from Gov. Crist’s office on the trip
Was the trip worth the expense?
Gov. Charlie Crist took a 12-day trade mission to Europe this summer. The July trip to London, Paris, St. Petersburg and Madrid was supposed to cost taxpayers $255,000, but the actual tab was even higher — in excess of $430,000.
Do you think Gov. Charlie Crist’s trade mission to Europe was worth the expense?

Yes

No

Governor Crist and entourage traveled in style across Europe as businesses and taxpayers footed the bill Crist’s office did not comment on the repayment demand.

As of June 30, the governor’s net worth was $457,262, according to financial records filed with the state Ethics Commission. A Democratic Party spokesman said that if Crist cannot pay the tab, the Republican Party should.

The full statement is below: Dear Governor Crist, As you know, Florida is facing a major budget crisis. After cutting billions of dollars from vital education, healthcare and public safety programs last year - cuts that hurt Floridians struggling to get by during these tough economic times - our state still face larger and ballooning deficits.

This weekend, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported that your trip this summer cost taxpayers a total of $430,000. They reported that taxpayers footed the bill for your entourage of more than two dozen, including a photographer and nine bodyguards. They write about your accommodations and expenses that, “His London hotel suite, originally estimated to cost $1,800 a night, actually was $2,179, the Sun-Sentinel found. He flew first class for about $8,000 round trip, courtesy of a Miami travel agency. He ran up room service and minibar tabs of more than $1,300. And he spent $320 on electric fans to keep him cool while giving speeches.”

This news comes at the same time you are calling on Floridians to make sacrifices and ordering government agencies to cut spending. With tours of Buckingham Palace and visits to the Eiffel Tower on your agenda, it was clear at the time that your trip served as a taxpayer financed vacation. While some positive results may come from the trip, the lavish accommodations and first class travel were beyond excessive. The same results could have been accomplished should you have stayed at more modest accommodations than the Presidential suites of five-star hotels, while creating huge saving for taxpayers.

While your office continues defending your trip, claiming it has helped Florida’s economy the statistics are clear: since your trip more than 48,000 Floridians have lost their jobs, over 145,000 Floridians have received foreclosure notices, and our tourism industry has seen a major decline in the number of visitor. Additionally, since your trip we have learned that our state’s deficit has grown by more than $2 billion.

To show that you are a responsible steward of Florida taxpayers’ hard earned dollars, you should reimburse the state’s treasury the costs associated with this trip.

ELOY