While Dayton taxpayers are being asked to support yet another levy for the Dayton Public Schools, and our services are being cut, the three members of the Dayton City Commission up for reelection in November 2009 decided to take a little trip half-way around the world on your tax dollars:
Taxpayers paid $10,000 airfare for trip to sister cities [1]
On June 11, McLin and Whaley traveled to Holon, Israel, where they were joined by Commissioner Joey Williams. In Holon, the mayor and commissioners toured the city and attended a conference to discuss sister city issues.Several topics discussed during the visits included establishing an exchange program with the University of Sarajevo and five Miami Valley universities. They also talked about housing issues, transportation and the economy.
The delegation returned to Dayton, Monday, June 16.
The city of Dayton covered the cost of airfare for the mayor and commissioners. Spouses who traveled with the commissioners paid their own way. Lodging and food was provided by hosting cities or the Sister Cities organization, Tom Biedenharn, spokesman for the city said.
The $10,000 that was set aside for airfare included the price of a ticket for Commissioner Dean Lovelace, which was not purchased.
Maybe the money would be better spent suing the State of New York for “investing” 1.5 Million of New Yorkers tax dollars to poach the C-suite salaries of NCR [2] and robbing Dayton of the tax revenue?
No, they wouldn’t think to do something like that, that would take guts and a brain.
While I agree $10,000 of ill-spent tax payer dollars could be refocused…and even reappropriated — suing the fine tax payers of NYS is hardly a better use of the funds.
Perhaps a reinvestment of the ten grand within our own community — no, there is no “perhaps”. If you took the $10,000 and bought 2000 sandwiches from some truly local establishment (be it the Dugout Deli or the Second Street Market or some other truly home grown Dayton establishment) the money would be better spent. It doesn’t matter — piss it away in $10,000 in drinks at Hammerjax or the Pearl night club. At least you’d be supporting local business instead of some failing national airline and g*d knows what other international businesses.
Pray tell, honorable mayor — what did that ten grand buy us? What real benefit has any citizen of Dayton realized from your world hopping adventure?
My guess is that R hine’s not planning to run for another term and decided she’d avail herself of all the perks she could before leaving office.
Joey’s not going to run for mayor and may not pursue another term as commissioner, so he doesn’t care what the public thinks.
Nan has always followed in lockstep with the mayor and figures her gravy time will be up when the Mayor departs.
Dean is considering running for mayor and that’s why he steered clear of the whole debacle.
The real story is who forgot to invite Matt.
The sign that McLin might not be seeking re-election is when she supported that gay rights ordnance (same could be said for Lovelace opposing it).
As for Sister Citys only in a provincial shithole like Dayton could this program and elected officials participation in be considered suspicious.
What they haven’t told you is that Dayton is starting to work behind the scenes to attract high tech companies from Isreal. Isreal has a strong base in technology and defense that would mesh well with Wright-Patt and Tech Town. Isreal also has close ties to our Federal government, which may open additional doors. In that context, is it possible that the “sister city” trip may have been an excuse to get some face time with Israeli leaders? We shall see..
“name”- isn’t that what the Dayton Development Coalition was supposed to be doing- I mean, we pay JP 2x what the County Administrator makes- and almost 3x what the City manager makes- and about 10x what the Mayor makes- so, why are we sending the flunkys?