Thursday, February 4, 2010

Questionable Expenses

Here are some of the expenses the Auditor General thought were excessive:

.$7995 to have generator installed at an MLA's home

. $13,445 for custom made office furniture

•$3,250 for a projector screen and accessories.

•$2,969 for books

•$2,665 for a projector

•$2,600 for a printer

•$1,763 for a video camera

•$790 for a model boat office display

•$738 for an espresso coffee machine

•$750 for a GPS unit

Care to comment?

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

For the people who are supposed to serve us, they sure seem intent on serving themselves with our tax dollars. It's great that they say they are repaying the money, but shouldn't they already know what is right and what is wrong. It already goes to show that there is no accountability with this government or any previous government. Without accountability from a government we might be better off with real criminals at the helm at least we know their true intentions.

The only reason an expense should be there, is if it was used to serve the people.

If the generator was to be used by search and rescue, maybe it should have been housed at the local fire station or even the police station.

http://www.oag-ns.ca/feb2010/full0210.pdf - 4.31 "While not in violation of the regulations, we believe a reasonable person would consider the following expenditures to be excessive."

Apparently the AG doesn't believe there are reasonable people in government.

Anonymous said...

Does this really surprise anyone, Really....This is why we look down on politics and find it hard to support people who can be so wasteful when alot of tax payers are struggling..... but hey! give me someone elses money and put me in a mall and i would probably go to town too...

Anonymous said...

I'm thinking the MLA's are trying to accumulate all they can because they probably won't get back in as a government for a second year. It has only been 7 months and they have broken just about every election promise they made.

Anonymous said...

Why is anyone surprised at these expenses? most people are aware that Government in Canada is what amounts to disorganized crime and full of people more intent on lining their own pockets and to hell with the rest of us.

karen said...

I am so angry that every year this happens again and again and somehow it continues. Why can't someone stop this excessive spending. How can these MLA's be so ignorant towards the people they represent. There are people working two jobs who are still below the poverty line but they don't care. That is not even including their yearly salary which is more than double mine as a nurse in our great health care system!!! I think it is very embarassing to Nova Scotia.

Karen Lushman Eastern Passage

Tony said...

That's funny, "It's only stealing if you get caught." What a minute, these guys get caught and it's still not stealing? Here's the message I'm getting, "I can come to C100, go behind the front desk and take all the prizes. If I get away with it, awesome, conert tickets and food. If I get caught, I'll just give them back. No harm, no foul!" Great message from the MLA's. "I'm lovin' it". Oop's, sorry McDonald's, you can have that back!!

Anonymous said...

Those expense accounts are for serving the people not themselves. They are, in fact, stealing. They should be charged with theft and have a permanent record. Everything in this country is so unorganized and out of control. We need new laws that make people accountable. There is far too much time spent worrying about being politically correct and not hurting feelings. Well what about how we as taxpayers feel when this type of things are happening??? Obviously if he is offering to pay back the cost he knew it was wrong in the first place. WAKE UP AND CHARGE THAT THEIF.....AND MAKE SURE HE PAYS HIS OWN LEGAL BILL!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

If one of us had such "expenses" we would be fired and charged with theft.

The excuses for the spending are weak at best. A generator in your own home in case seniors need it? Come on. During Hurricane Juan many of us helped our senior neighbors without charging the government.

Sarah said...

This is an outrage! There must be policies in place that doesn't allow our politicians to steal from the taxpayers and they want to increase taxes? Why so they can rob us blind? These MLAs have to be accountable for their behaviour. I am disgusted with the entire lot of them.

Jenny said...

Our "government" makes me sick! Their not here to serve us, their here to steal- the rich get richer right?! They wouldn't be paying back a single dime if this wouldn't have come to light. The charges are all within regulation-I'm sure the way these MLA's decided to set up the regulations was no mistake.My days of voting are done and they only thing I'll lose from not voting is my right to complain- they certainly don't listen anyway or this misuse of taxpayers dollars would not continue year after year.

Anonymous said...

I am disgusted by the thievery of our politicians especially when we are facing cuts to Health care and Education! It is no wonder that the public doesn’t trust any of them! Hummm, maybe this is why voting is down to an all time low? Who do you vote for? You are basically trading one thief for another. Why aren’t these people being charged with stealing from tax payers? If I stole money from my company’s funds, would I not be charged? What is the difference?

David Patton said...

Go figure a Politician that is dishonest with his/her spending. How this doesn't surprise me. Everyone seems surprised on the radio on it, however this is just to show that there is no such thing as an "honest politician". If there is a chance to deceive the people they will do it. It is just the nature of Politicians to SCREW US as much as they can.

No matter how much we cry for Politicians to be accountable for what they do...just as we are when we are in our workplace; it will never happen because the job of all Politicians is to SCREW THE PEOPLE as much as possible. If this weren't true, then the deficete would have been taken care of a long time ago. Rather than hiring "your best friend" for a DUMMY position because there is "extra money" around.

Anonymous said...

Hearing this just make me sick, we elect these people into office with hopes they will make things better for all of us. We work our butts off to supply for our families, can't really afford to go out and purchase some of the things they have purchased. My Mom who is an umeployeed widow at the age of 61 with health issues is struggling to survive off a little under $1000 a month income. So if you do the math the two laptops that Mr. Dexter purchased is over half of her income for the year. Funny how that works she still gets taxed on her income so people of power per say can go and get things that she can only dream of buying.

Kathy G said...

How dare they spend one red cent of tax payers money on such frivolous items. If I was the mother of these men I'd whap them up side the head and ask " What is the matter with you? You are in a postion of trust and you did this. How can you look at your self in the mirror. These people trusted you and you did this. You know better. You were brought up better than that. GIVE THAT STUFF BACK!!! Then you apologize to the good people who elected you and Beg their forgiveness. They trusted you and look how you repaid their trust. If you never get re-elected you only have yourself to blame." The fact that children go to bed hungry and they spend our money on such things. How utterly SAD !!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I work for the Halifax Regional School Board and found a couple of the examples of the excessive spending particularly interesting. For instance, I am curious if the public knows how little of the supplies teachers need to do their daily work is supplied...next to none! We purchase our own pens, supplies for students who come unprepared etc. We are often using out-dated technology while our government is buying laptops and art (if you can call a ship model art!). I also want to point out that any time any other public servent steals money they are generally fired as has happened within our school board, or asked to resign.

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately, politicians are criminals made legal. They will get away with ANY crime and make us, taxpayers, pay all the legal expences .. that's why they are in that business! Disgusting pigs!!!

Anonymous said...

I am not surprised..... at all.. common practice with any government. The word is I am entitled and comes as a perk... yes they needed these items to do their job.. next they say it was a job tool.. ha.

I am classified as the working poor, single mom now whom gets up every day @ 5:30 am.. for the last 18 years... work my butt off..


Last year I applied for the heating rebate ..1st time.. $450.00
was a big help... and this year the government sent me out the application to apply again but the rebate was $250.00 decreased even though the fuel prices did not and then I read about this spending... makes me SICK!!!

I question where is the justice... well as they say give to the rich and take from the poor.