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Return to Article: Report: State Department failed to justify premium travel

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  Dear Gunny,

  You don't know how right you were with your comments. The following quote is taken from a public bulletin board on April 12th that is frequented by members of the "Diplomatic Corps."

  "I don't know about how specialists feel, but as an officer, I will not accept any more cutting of benefits and status that we are due. Traveling in non-cattle class is not a "perk." It is a basic symbol of the importance we attach to our Foreign Service and the Officers who carry out diplomacy for the United States of America."

  It will be interesting to see the comments on that same bulletin board concerning this more public unveiling of the individual's indignation at possibly having to join the rest of us federal government cattle.

  Mooooo

  ORF

  GovExec.com reader Posted April 13, 2006 11:50 PM
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  Bottom-line ...just make the offenders pay the difference. If I want to upgrade over my per diem or travel entitlements I have to pay the difference, no questions, no other expectations, that is just the way it is and 99 percent of us understand this.

  Make them pay, to show us lowly federal peon workers that rules are the rules period, and no distinction between classes. To allow them to walk away from this is in the same law bending court as allowing amnesty to illegal immigrant trespassers.

  DDF Posted April 12, 2006 10:05 PM
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  It would be most appropriate to have the individuals traveling premium class repay the Treasury for the difference. This will strengthen accountability and teach these people a lesson about spending taxpayer money wisely.

  GovExec.com reader Posted April 12, 2006 8:30 AM
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  Once again, the facts speak for themselves regarding blatant malfeasance perpetrated by the big dogs on the Beltway porch. It's no secret that the majority of these people suffer from delusions of grandeur, that is, they feel their position on the food chain entitles them to abuse the system to their benefit at will.

  Let's take a look at some of the insidious nonsense behind this. To begin with, "Many of the department's top officials--undersecretaries and assistant secretaries--..." That's part of the problem that has plagued Washington for decades. Undersecretaries to the assistant secretary to the undersecretary to the underwear to the chief consultant to assistant mid-secretary ... anyone get the drift? There's always been a huge conglomerate of managerial fluff who, when asked what their duties are, can't articulate them or merely amount to creampuffs running around getting coffee and snorkeling the reefs of the great gluteus maximus. I'll wager the "important travel" they undertake concern issues that could be addressed via conference call.

  Secondly, how can the State Department lack complete data on premium travel? Don't they have to submit vouchers like the rest of us? On top of that, it's stated there was little or no monitoring of this travel. Sounds like total dereliction on behalf of the agency's comptrollers but, as in other cases, nobody will get called on the carpet for it. How about the agency's failure to account for over $6 million in unused tickets? The department wasn't unaware of that oversight; they were hoping it would just blow away in the winds and no one would be the wiser. It's hard to overlook that gross a blunder. Now comes Ms. Pittman stating the GAO's report "overstated the nature and extent of the problem."

  Lame attempt at trying to cover your six o'clock there missy! The facts are already out there, bolder than sin, and no amount of reprehensible spin will pull you out of the fire. Oh, and to you Mr. Kaplan, whether or not the travel was duly authorized for official duty was never in question; it's how much and by what mode were the targets of this report. Stick to the issue pal.

  No wonder there's never any money for the mission-critical needs! The Gunny

  GovExec.com reader Posted April 12, 2006 8:29 AM
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  "Federal and department travel regulations permit first-class travel under limited circumstances, including for nonstop flights lasting longer than 14 hours." When you have ridiculous rules you get ridiculous results! Any flight over 6 hours should receive business class travel -- first class only when there is no business class.

  The people who flew on premium travel should be required to pay back the difference between the premium rate and the coach rate. They should have known the regulation and abided by it! You know this will never happen, but it should! Also, their names should be published indicating the amounts of my money they stole! Additionally, the government should receive the mileage credits for frequent flyer miles that these people earned on their first class and business class flights that were improper flights. Not only will these people get off flying premium flights against the rules, but they will keep their frequent flyer miles earned in their illegal activities. This simply is another indication of how corrupt the government is!

  Taxpayer Posted April 12, 2006 7:11 AM
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  Sounds like the State Department needs to switch to the new Defense Travel System!!!! Once they are in DTS, they will be lucky if they can even book a trip, let alone fly first or business class.

  GovExec.com reader Posted April 12, 2006 5:43 AM