Philosophy
The subject of the NASA conference? It was a training session for its procurement officials - the people who do the buying with taxpayer funds.
During the three-day conference, the 317 attendees snacked on "light refreshments" of soda, coffee, fruit, bagels and cookies at a cost of $62,611, according to a NASA Inspector General report. That's $66 a day per person.
And that wasn't the only problem. The NASA financial watchdog criticized the financially strapped space agency's spending on conferences in general. The inspector general said NASA didn't price shop to get cheaper locations for conferences and that NASA's spending on food and drinks was "excessive."
The agency needs to come up with firm rules and conference costs, like the Justice Department, the inspector general recommended in the report released late Wednesday.
NASA promised it would come up with better conference spending rules.
The training conference in December 2008 at a Hilton hotel in Baltimore took the cake for most expensive per person of the eight conferences examined. The conference cost NASA a total of $495,173 for 317 people, a cost of more than $1,500 per person. But the eye-opener was the coffee and snack costs.
Another conference, on aeronautics in Atlanta, spent $535,149 for 650 people. NASA provided some meals for all attendees at a cost of $58,415. NASA could have saved nearly $50,000 if the agency gave per diem money to just NASA employees and contractors - instead of everyone attending - and told them to buy their own meals for the three days, the inspector general said.
When asked why NASA spends so much on snacks, a NASA spokesman referred to the agency's response in the report, which didn't explain the costs but promised to do better. In that response, NASA deputy chief financial officer Terry Bowie defended the practice of buying snacks at conferences, saying it would keep attendees from wandering away. But Bowie said next month NASA will define "reasonable cost limits" for snacks at conferences.
And what's reasonable?
That happened to be the topic of a session at the Baltimore conference - how to determine a reasonable price.
"These are people who should have known better in the first place," said Tom Schatz, president of the watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste. "This is the lesson that should have been learned before the conference, not during or after."
NASA Inspector General's report
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Philosophy
Snacks...compliments of NASA--$66/person
"NASA pays sky-high $66 a person for seminar snacks"
by
Seth Borenstein
March 25th, 2010
Associated Press
by
Seth Borenstein
March 25th, 2010
Associated Press
The subject of the NASA conference? It was a training session for its procurement officials - the people who do the buying with taxpayer funds.
During the three-day conference, the 317 attendees snacked on "light refreshments" of soda, coffee, fruit, bagels and cookies at a cost of $62,611, according to a NASA Inspector General report. That's $66 a day per person.
And that wasn't the only problem. The NASA financial watchdog criticized the financially strapped space agency's spending on conferences in general. The inspector general said NASA didn't price shop to get cheaper locations for conferences and that NASA's spending on food and drinks was "excessive."
The agency needs to come up with firm rules and conference costs, like the Justice Department, the inspector general recommended in the report released late Wednesday.
NASA promised it would come up with better conference spending rules.
The training conference in December 2008 at a Hilton hotel in Baltimore took the cake for most expensive per person of the eight conferences examined. The conference cost NASA a total of $495,173 for 317 people, a cost of more than $1,500 per person. But the eye-opener was the coffee and snack costs.
Another conference, on aeronautics in Atlanta, spent $535,149 for 650 people. NASA provided some meals for all attendees at a cost of $58,415. NASA could have saved nearly $50,000 if the agency gave per diem money to just NASA employees and contractors - instead of everyone attending - and told them to buy their own meals for the three days, the inspector general said.
When asked why NASA spends so much on snacks, a NASA spokesman referred to the agency's response in the report, which didn't explain the costs but promised to do better. In that response, NASA deputy chief financial officer Terry Bowie defended the practice of buying snacks at conferences, saying it would keep attendees from wandering away. But Bowie said next month NASA will define "reasonable cost limits" for snacks at conferences.
And what's reasonable?
That happened to be the topic of a session at the Baltimore conference - how to determine a reasonable price.
"These are people who should have known better in the first place," said Tom Schatz, president of the watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste. "This is the lesson that should have been learned before the conference, not during or after."
NASA Inspector General's report
- The 70 Million Does Include A Bag Of Nuts
"Russia Hikes Price for Space Rides to $70 Million" by Irene Klotz May 1st, 2013 Discovery Communications Unsure when U.S. companies will be ready to fly astronauts to the International Space Station, NASA has signed up for six more rides with the...
- Yep, There Was Once A "miss Nasa"
Miss NASA 1968/1969 Miss NASA 1970 Miss NASA 1971 Miss NASA 1973 A Miss NASA beauty pageant? Well, yes. There isn't much information on this event. Deputy Administrator Lori Garver...Women@NASA keynote speech this past spring [2012]...
- 38 Years Later...shuttle Discovery To Be Retired
An historic event on Wednesday, November 3rd 2010. "Discovery's final home 'up in the air'" November 1st, 2010 SPACE TRAVEL As the space shuttle Discovery is prepared for its Wednesday launch on its final mission, uncertainty surrounds...
- Nasa's Garage Sale
Have a few extra bucks? Get involved in NASA huge sale...and I mean huge. "NASA Garage Sale Includes Shuttles, Engines, Space Suits" by Jason Paur January 21st, 2010 Wired Looking for a good deal during the recession? Space geeks don’t have to...
- Steve Isakowitz...nasa Administrator?
What appears to be the delay in securing a new NASA Administrator? Latest contender is Steve Isakowitz. "Steve Isakowitz leads the pack for NASA Administrator job" by Robert Block February 27th, 2009 OrlandoSentinel.com According to administration...