In money-saving bid, TSA slashes party costs ($1500 cheese plates out)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6770239/

The Transportation Security Administration nixed the $1,500 cheese plates and $4-a-cup coffee it had at last year’s ceremony recognizing the accomplishments of its employees, and instead opted for off-brand fruit punch and store-bought cookies for this year’s event.

Those spending cuts and others helped TSA slash the cost of recognition awards from $462,000 last year to $130,000 in 2004, according to figures supplied to MSNBC.com by the agency.

Meanwhile, the agency, which is tasked with protecting the nation's transportation systems, handed out more than $20 million in bonuses this year to lower-ranking employees. An additional $540,000 went to senior executives, compared with the $1.45 million it handed out last year to the same executive group, TSA said.

“The bonuses allow TSA to recognize the hard work and commitment of a number of its employees over the past year,” said Amy Von Walter, an agency spokeswoman. “Such recognition is appropriate and demonstrates our appreciation of the efforts of the workforce,” she said. “Furthermore, the individuals selected were carefully selected based on their contributions to the agency and its mission.”

[Liberty Belle]

1. Hey Shrub, make your inaugural a potlock

and send the savings to the tsunami victims. If punch and cookies are good enough for your bureaucrats, they should be good enough for your bloated GOP fatcats.

[Stinky The Clown]

11. Liddle cock tail weenies ......... that should be about right for them

Weenies for the weenies

[InvisibleBallots]

2. Management is stealing millions - nothing but crooks

"An additional $540,000 went to senior executives, compared with the $1.45 million it handed out last year to the same executive group, TSA said."

Arrest them.

[havocmom]

3. Are these the same folks who tried to cut back on Air Marshals on flights

because of the cost for putting them up in hotels? Or are these the same folks who set up camp at a posh resort WAY outside of Denver to hire security people and then complained cuz they were there over a week and few job applicants made the long drive to the resort to sing up for jobs in Denver?

Have trouble keeping tack of all the idiots.

[Stinky The Clown]

13. Yup .... same folks

Are we safer yet?

[aquart]

4. Uh, what were their salaries for?

[truthseeker1]

5. $20 million in bonuses?

YOu gotta be freaking kidding me, during a time when the nation is facing widespread layoffs and outsourcing and pay cuts (not to mention a huge deficit) how does the govt have the funds to justify $20 million in bonuses? And no one in the govt had better say it's only a drop in the bucket......it's more than the original amount Bush pledged for the tsunami victims!

[salin]

9. but we must cut Pell grants... and aid for home heating...

and free and reduced lunch programs...

[Stinky The Clown]

14. That's cuz a good deal of *that* money goes to people with

darker skin tones ...... and you *know* we can't support that crowd, right?

[saigon68]

15. Make those "Darkies" work for a living

After all look at how hard Colon and Condominium have worked to "make it" The "rest are just Lazy." </sarcasm>

THAT SUMS IT UP---THEY ARE NOT WORTHY.

[kodi]

6. gee i feel safer already

so they give out prizes to people who do their job?

isn't that what a paycheck is all about?

[hatrack]

12. Hell, they give out prizes to people who DON'T do their jobs

Witness Tenet, Bremer and Franks - they each got the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

[MisterP]

7. ah, yes, the Lifetime Achievement Awards for a 2yo office!

[CountAllVotes]

8. ok what is in the 'punch'?

:evilgrin:

:kick:

[UpInArms]

10. "Compassionate Conservatism" at work

with the "smaller government" GOPigs at the trough.

:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:

Government jobs are not supposed to pay "bonuses" - this is just a freakin' crock of shit!

These are "public service" jobs - not cushy private sector profit-driven stock option bullshit careers with golden parachutes!

I am appalled.

[htuttle]

16. Speaking as a lifelong WI devotee of cheese and cheese products

There ain't NO cheese plate worth $1500!

Perhaps if it was a plate the size of a small room...maybe. But I wouldn't call that a 'plate'.

[saigon68]

17. A Halliburton Cheese Plate is worth easily that.

Maybe even more.