Letters

I would not agree that the General Services Administration's pilot to contract with Boston hotels to guarantee rooms at the per diem rate has been successful ("New Spending Limits," Travel, November). I booked a room at the Boston Marriott Copley Hotel last May so I could attend a meeting there. When I reserved my room, I was told there were none available at the government rate, only rooms that were considerably more expensive. Since the meeting would run into the late evening and I was a woman traveling alone, I accepted the higher rate. About a month later, I learned that the hotel was a pilot participant.

According to the GSA Web site, the participating hotels agreed to provide a room at the federal per diem as long as any rooms were available. When I contacted GSA, I was told that since I hadn't booked the room through GSA, there was nothing they could do. If this is how GSA will run the program on a national scale, I don't see how it will be of much benefit to federal travelers.
Susan Absher
Environmental Protection Agency

Criminal Behavior

"Travel by the Book," (Travel, December) was well done. I've shared it with our employees to help them protect themselves. The article also should have stated that personal, non-travel items put on a government card not only won't be reimbursed, but are illegal.
Chris Holmes

Half Empty or Half Full?

Paul C. Light's claim that the talent pool is running dry ("Pressure to Grow," October) is far from true. Each agency has plenty of talented people who make tough decisions in their jobs all the time. These folks understand both long-term and short-term situations. Maybe we're just looking for people in the wrong places.
Niles Swenson
Tax Examiner
Internal Revenue Service
Kansas City, Mo.