The $16 Muffin That Wasn’t - NYT

[Bill USA]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/29/us/politics/report-of-justice-depts-16-muffin-greatly-exaggerated.html


WASHINGTON — The office of the Justice Department inspector general on Friday retracted its much publicized claim that the agency had spent $16 per breakfast muffin at a conference. And it expressed regret for the “significant negative publicity” for the department and for the hotel that hosted the meeting that resulted from the erroneous finding in a report last month.

The supposed “$16 muffins,” at a conference for immigration lawyers in August 2009, had been a highlight of the report, which blasted the Justice Department for “extravagant and potentially wasteful” spending on food at conferences at the end of the Bush administration and early in President Obama’s term.

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But the department and the hotel, the Capital Hilton, said the cost of the breakfast had included not only muffins but also fruit, coffee, juice, taxes and a gratuity for the servers. It was also part of a package with the hotel that included “free” use of a ballroom and a dozen meeting rooms during the five-day conference.

In a new introduction to a revised report issued on Friday, the Office of the Inspector General said it had reviewed additional paperwork and now agreed that its conclusions “were incorrect and that the Department did not pay $16 per muffin.”

[Owlet]

1. Pretty sloppy work, General

Why don't you do the right thing and resign. You know: resign, quit, hand in your papers. Of course I realize it simply isn't done in DC. I mean, who'd run the gummint if every fuckup quit? (is this where I put the 'sarcasm' thingy?) What we need is an "I'm mad as hell and I'm not taking it anymore!" smiley. Maybe something like:

[ProgressiveProfessor]

2. Typical to bundle the cost of the facility in with the food

Often makes it easier to get it thought the sign off cycle.