The Spectacle Blog
The CBS affiliate in Denver reports that the Census Bureau paid about $100,000 in airfare, meals and hotel for 140 of its administrators in the West to gather at a Las Vegas luxury hotel to confer on “lessons learned.” Rep. Mike Coffman, a Colorado Republican, saw it differently:
“It’s impossible to argue this without saying these folks took a vacation and they took it at taxpayer expense…. I mean I think it’s the equivalent of theft,” said Coffman, who insisted the Census Bureau could have saved taxpayers money by gathering the same information from administrators by conducting online and written surveys, phone conferencing and a host of other data-gathering methods that would not involve congregating in Las Vegas.
“You need to be respectful of taxpayers. Don’t waste their money on a three-day party in Las Vegas or anywhere else to have discussions you can have via a written survey.”
Reporter Brian Maass says that wasn’t the only lesson learning that the Census Bureau hosted:
CBS4 has learned the Las Vegas meeting was actually one of a dozen that involved flying census managers into central locations and putting them up at hotels. The Census Bureau has 12 regional offices in Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia and Seattle. The Census Bureau held similar “lessons learned” debriefing sessions in each region.
Indeed, the Census flags were flying at another Vegas casino/hotel a couple of weeks earlier (you may want to avert your eyes on the Macarena):
At least they didn’t drop the big bucks on professional entertainers.
Hat tip: Complete Colorado.
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aware| 9.22.10 @ 3:15PM
I'd just like to know how you expect a criminal gang to act? This is government in all its glory(just think of the things they do they are able to keep secret).
Sean| 9.22.10 @ 4:36PM
Take a look at your local school district. Teachers and administrator go out of state all the time for "professional development." All government is out of control.
aware| 9.22.10 @ 5:08PM
I used to think the State was misguided but now I know it is just evil. At every level, and now I'm also sure it was intended to be a vast exploiting criminal cartel from the beginning.
Pete| 9.22.10 @ 6:14PM
They also wasted money having workers come out 3 separate times to my house in the hopes of getting more information than I provided (the number of people living at my address). They failed.
Michael C.Cook | 9.25.10 @ 9:16AM
These videos are not from a U.S. Census Bureau sponsored event. The event was in fact a celebration sponsored by former temporary census workers through their own ticket sales for the event. It took place on Sunday, August 8, at the Texas Station Hotel in Las Vegas and was not part of the 2010 Census Denver Regional debriefing that took place at the Treasure Island Hotel, August 24-26.
For "The Whole Story" about the 2010 Census Denver Regional debrief visit:
And, click on the question--Is it true census workers were sent on a vacation to Las Vegas, at government expense?
Fred| 9.25.10 @ 12:50PM
So you're saying people with temporary jobs, bought and paid for a Las Vegas trip to celebrate their part time job ending? This sounds so ludicrous only an intellectual would think it's true.
Michael C. Cook | 9.26.10 @ 12:15AM
The former temporary census workers in these videos actually live and worked for the U.S. Census Bureau in the Las Vegas area.