Fresno elected officials spend public money on restaurant meals ...

[Newsjock]

Alan Autry is the real GOP prize who, among other things, led a rally in support of "traditional marriage."

http://fresnobee.com/local/story/10369103p-11172273c.html

Fresno elected officials spend public money on restaurant meals, hotel rooms, airfare and more
By Jim Davis / The Fresno Bee

Fresno Mayor Alan Autry and the City Council spent tens of thousands of dollars in the past four years on meals, hotel bills and other expenses with little oversight and less public debate.

... For his part, Autry said that he thinks there are more meaningful issues facing the city than his expenses: "I've got more important things to do than worry about people who want to hang me with a club sandwich."

... Autry, who receives a salary of $99,400 a year and a $300-a-month vehicle allowance, considers meals a part of the job.

... Autry's philosophy on meals is that if he's at work and hungry, the taxpayer should buy him a meal. He maintains that, as mayor, he is always on city business: "When am I not mayor? When am I not taking phone calls on city business? Never."

more

[AlCzervik]

1. Modesto also just had mayor problems and he was voted out

this guy will be next cause there isn't extra money for anything in california.

[UpInArms]

2. I call this bullshit

if this sack of shit were unemployed, he would get much much hungrier and no one would have to pay for feeding him.

:banghead:

[Rose Siding]

3. Whoa- in depth!

Nice work Fresno Bee. That guy's nuts. Does he think ALL govt employees should be fed by the people?

[UpInArms]

5. taking this jerk's thought (oxymoron) process one step further

If he gets horny on the job, and he's always mayor, the taxpayer should pay for him to be "serviced".

I guess that this also means that every person who works should have all their meals paid for by their employer - you know there are always "whatever" they are and always, therefor, on the job.

[johnfunk]

4. Fresno is also the home of FReeperville...

... I'd like to know how cozy these Fresno party animals are with those oh-so-conservative FReepers.

Probably thisclose.

Wonder what the FReepers have to say about this waste of tax money?

[Rose Siding]

6. They are 60K richer- there's a freep history with the Fresno City Council

http://sfbay.indymedia.org/news/2004/01/1667650.php

A SHORT CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS: * Last year the Sheriff’s department infiltrated Peace Fresno, allegedly looking for terrorists * At the same time, a Fresno City Council member sent an email saying that if he had a dirty bomb he could eliminate all of the liberals in Fresno * An aide to a City Council member sent an email that suggested sending “over some officers to 'Cap' these guys” (HRC members) * Messages threatening violence against peace activists were posted on the Free Republic web site * A Press Release was sent out warning the community about that threat of violence * The Free Republic filed a million dollar lawsuit against the City of Fresno because of that Press Release * The mayor and conservatives on the City Council attacked the Human Relations Commission (HRC) because of the Press Release * And NOW the city settles that lawsuit by forcing the chair of the HRC to resign and giving the Freepers $60,000 What is wrong with this picture? Who are the real terrorists?

[Rose Siding]

7. "Posters on the Free Republic website have claimed Autry is one of theirs"

snip>
Posters on the Free Republic website have claimed Autry is one of theirs. Autry refuses to discuss any connections he might have with Free Republic.

http://indybay.org/news/2004/07/1688612.php

Also from this article...

snip>
Mayor Alan Autry recently hosted a hour-long episode of Falwell’s Praise The Lord. He had appeared on the show as a guest, as the Mayor of Fresno, about a year ago.

In an interview with Channel 30 anchor Liz Harrison, Autry explained that as a child he and his family rarely went to church because they were constantly moving, but they always had a picture of Jesus on the wall and a Bible on a shelf.

After his pro football career with the Green Bay Packers ended and he wound up in Hollywood, he told Harrison that he started drinking heavily and he “found” God again after his then-wife left him.
....
Autry has appointed another fundamentalist Christian to the second most-powerful job in City government. Police chief Jerry Dyer is another “bad boy” who found God and “cleaned up his act.” Dyer had a sexual affair with a 16-year-old girl when he was in his mid-20s, during his “bad boy” days.

CHARMING

[johnfunk]

9. It's high time we started referring to the home town of Free Republic...

as FReepno, California
Hmmm... has a catchy ring, doesn't it...
and yes, the capital "FR" is a must!

[htuttle]

8. And they say that "there's no free lunch!"

I guess they never met the mayor of Fresno.

Where did this guy get the idea that "if he's at work and hungry, the taxpayer should buy him a meal"? What other job has THAT?

We'd never stand for a mayor acting that way around here. The guy would be out on his ass so fast he wouldn't know what happened to him.