Highlights Waste of Taxpayer Dollars
COLUMBUS– Tuesday, the Carney for Ohio campaign released its second television campaign ad in the Ohio State Auditor’s race. The commercial highlights the current Auditor’s hypocrisy when it comes to safeguarding taxpayer dollars. With taxpayer money, Dave Yost’s office spent $7-per-cup of coffee during a fraud and waste conference in February of 2012.
Carney for Ohio Campaign Manager Brendan Kelley released this statement:
“Spending $7 of taxpayer money per cup of coffee at a fraud and waste conference demonstrates that the current Auditor’s belief that he can operate under a different set of rules than everyone else. While he makes exaggerated claims of working to ‘skinny down’ government, his record shows he spends lavishly at his own conferences. Even Starbucks does not charge that much for regular coffee. We cannot trust the current Auditor to be a faithful watchdog of our money.”
The campaign ad is airing in network and cable markets in communities across Ohio.
Watch the ad: Follow this link
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BACKGROUND
On February 27, 2012, The Auditor of State’s office requested a Waiver of Competitive Selection from the Controlling Board “in the amount of $86,100 for FY12 to contract with the Hilton Columbus, Columbus, Franklin County to provide meeting space and catering services for the 12thAnnual Emerging Trends in Fraud Investigation and Prevention Conference” (Controlling Board Request AUD0100014, 2/27/12). The conference was to be held May 21-22, 2012.
The request was approved.
Attached to the request was an “Agreement for Meeting Room Facilities and Food ServicesBetween The Hilton Columbus at Easton and Auditor of State” and a “Sleeping Room and Catering Contract.”
The total agreed to contract for this conference was $86,100. The contract would suggest a budget for 500 people over two days of the conference.
According to the Sleeping Room and Catering Contract, Yost agreed to per person charges of $7.00 per coffee break, $17.50 per continental breakfast and $20.00 per lunch for a grand total of $46,500.00 spent on catering for 2 continental breakfasts, 2 lunches, and coffee or $93 for 4 meals and coffee per person.
The Sleeping Room and Catering Contract lists the cost of 1000 “coffee breaks” as $7,000 or $7.00 per person. 1000 coffee breaks implies one break per person per day if there are 500 people at a two day conference.
Starbucks is 387 ft away from the Hilton at Easton. The auditor’s office could have purchased everyone at the conference two Venti coffees for $1,790 and saved $5,210.