NPS Stealing your Freedom, and your Money Too . . .

[Nick_D]

"This year, $100,000 has been spent (by the National Park Service) on foreign travel . . ."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4595870/

Nick :-)
BASE 194

[stinkydragon]

That's wonderful. I couldn't get the link to go. Could you elaborate?

[Nick_D]

Okay, here it is . . .

Don't miss the part that says the NPS spent "94 million dollars" on travel in the last two years . . . !

Nick


WASHINGTON - The National Park Service on Thursday ordered an immediate halt to all foreign travel by employees after lawmakers criticized plans to cut back services and hours at some parks this summer.

Director Fran Mainella also promised to trim 10 percent from domestic travel and to require that either she or Interior Secretary Gale Norton approve all major projects.

“All agencies have to face increased costs — we’re no different,” Mainella told lawmakers who oversee her agency’s budget. “It’s a balancing act ... just like a home.”

Both parties pile on Her assurances couldn’t head off intense questioning and withering criticisms from Republicans and Democrats on a House Appropriations subcommittee over Park Service spending.

“Who’s minding the store here? Are you all sort of oblivious to what’s going on?” Rep. George Nethercutt, R-Wash., asked Mainella.

“I think you can sense ... there’s a great deal of frustration here,” echoed Rep. Jim Kolbe, R-Ariz. “Either you’re not asking for enough money, or you’re not managing well.” A few minutes later, Kolbe answered his own question.

“It seems to me what we’re dealing with is a management and priority problem with the Park Service,” he said.

The spending reforms were announced after Rep. Charles Taylor, R-N.C., the subcommittee’s chairman, and Rep. Norman Dicks, D-Wash., its senior Democrat, questioned $94 million that the Park Service’s employees spent on travel the past two years.

Most of that was for domestic travel, according to Mainella. But $650,000 was spent in 2002 and $300,000 in 2003 for foreign travel, she said.

This year, $100,000 has been spent on foreign travel — but there will be no more, she said.