What Exactly Does "Other Expenses" Cover?

I was just looking at the massive (606 pages, 53 megabytes) Agenda for this Monday and saw Director Art Brown's travel authorization form to attend the 2007 Rail Volution Conference ("Building Livable Communities With Transit") in beautiful Miami, Florida at the gorgeous Loews Miami Beach Hotel! There, the long-serving Buena Park Councilman can join other conferees in "grappling" with these issues:

• Climate change and dwindling resources
• Fostering and enhancing a healthy economy
• Addressing the needs of diverse cultures
• Proactively financing infrastructures that support livable communities

Here's the travel authorization form, where you can peruse the estimated expenses for Councilman Brown's trip.

• $336 for meals: I suppose Art can get by on a $56-a-day meal allowance.

• Lodging for five nights: $1,075. They're getting the conference rate of $215 a night.

This one caught my eye: $651.05 for "Other."

"Other"?

The form notes this covers airport parking and car rental.

I checked out Dollar Car Rental online and I can get a Kia Rio for a week for $250. And that's without any discounts or promotional codes.

Heck, I could get a sweet Chrysler 300 for a week in Miami for $310, or a upgrade to a premium SUV (a Dodge Durango) for base rate of $527.99 and total estimated charges of $655.85.

Hopefully, Art isn't planning to rent an SUV -- that might send the wrong message to the other Rail Volution conference goers.

Any guesses from the readers on what Art Brown's planning on driving in Miami?

And if he's going there to study "Building Livable Communities With Transit," wouldn't getting around by the Miami transit system or the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority deepen that study experience?

Comments

[Thomas Anthony Gordon]

Matt,

Good points all.

I found LAX to MIA flights for $ 290 and SNA to MIA flights for $ 320.

But that would leave a huge carbon foot print and burn up the planet, so I want to help Art out.

Greyhound is only $ 198 roundtrip, but Art might need to get there and back quickly, so may the $ 264 Amtrak ticket is the better bet.

Lots of public transport in Miami, so Art should skip the rental car and ride public transit.

Awwwww,
But why should he skimp.

Go first class Art, your resident taxpayers don't care if you short change them on services as long as you have a good time.

Send us all post cards.

yeah,

We'll pay for them too...........

[pee-wee league]

Ahhh, the fresh scent of selective criticism.

[????]

What's selective about it?

[necessary expenses?]

Recent law (AB 1234) permits reimbursment only for "acutal and necessary" expenses. The law requires receipts for all reimbursement. I guess that "other" will be covered by actual receitps. If not, there's a problem. Someone should submit a records act request for this boondoggle.

[On my honor I will...]

Isn't there a boy scout Exec. somewhere in O.C. that would like to join Art on this little vacation?

[One Man's vacation is...]

The O.C. Supervisors go to New York and D.C. AT LEAST once a year (most with spouses) and take in Broadway shows and eat steak and Lobster at the finest eating establishments. I agree that Brown is a disgrace but let's not forget your buddies on the 5th Floor.

Was this article placed here to distract what John Moorlach and Chrissy Street are doing? After reading the latest scandel on Moorlach and Street in the OC Register I wonder. Moorlach says Street, his best buddy, should be considered innocent until proven guilty. However, Moorlach was quick to indict Sheriffs Deputies after a jail murder and immediately called for a civilian review board. It looks like Moorlachs double standard is perfectly okay with him as long as it is beneficial to his political agenda. Moorlach brought Street to this County and placed him in that office. The blame rests directly on Moorlach. Oh and of course there was Moorlachs lavish office remodel as well. Taxpayers hold onto your wallets while the Moorlach and Street are in town.

Matt,
How many other OCTA directors are going tot his conference in Miami? And how many of those directors are Republicans or Democrats or Dinos or Rinos?

Are you selecting out Art Brown because he happens to be the only Democrat on the Buena Park City Council in a city in which you recently trumpeted the tide turning from Blue to a ting of Purple slightly in the red column?

Seriously? I can’t imagine that Art Brown is the only OCTA board member going to this conference. You might be omitting some republican’s sop I challenge you to seek out all attendees and answer my question about Arts registration and that of the City of Buena Park just eeking out a minor majority into the red column.

John Moorlach and Chriss Street should be worming their way in to this conference based on what they are spending for their office furniture. They have both spent about a million each so whats another ten thousand!

Isnt Norby on the OCTA Board? Im sure he's going too.

[Jubal]

Anon @ 1:13 a.m.:

I don't know if any other directors are going. I didn't go looking for this travel authorization. It was one of the first pages in the agenda document, so I came across it by chance. It was the only travel authorization I saw.

[Rifleshot]

The conference showcases "liveable communities", which is liberal-speak for a densely-packed, urban metropolis, where citizens live in high-rises and are forced into mass transit. Anyone desiring that life-style can choose to live in L.A. or San Francisco. Why is it necessary for O.C.T.A., or any other county entity, to force that live-style on us?

[BS Detector]

I wonder is this implies that staff is NOT going. OCTA has full-time people that work on rail who'd likely benefit from such a conference, so what's the point in sending a part-time Board member?

And what the hell is "other"? Selected in-room videos?

Gordon: What was the fare at Boondoggle Air?

[the brain]

Airfare quotes do not include taxes and airport (9/11) charges, so the airline fee's look fine. The hotel costs are pre-arranged by the conference organizers, when not staying in conference hotels you would need additional transportation costs.

Other expenses may be for other events that were going on in conjunction but not covered by conference registration. This is a common occurance. Any costs over $25 must be submitted along with an actual receipt.

Why Art Brown was used to somehow show excess spending is confusing at best. Brown has been a leading proponent of smart transportation solutions for many years. While an avid supporter of MetroLink, he's helped stop the type of rail investment that LA has made to the detriment of roads and highways. Brown is the wrong one to go after, go after those who are riding "super" trains in China/Japan/France/Germany and coming back wanting one of those for us! Look at who is on Orangeline and High Speed Rail Authority if you want to find excessive and lavish spending. Check out which cities are participating in JPA's to funnel tax money to these "special" boards. Why is Los Alamitos spending money on maglev train JPA that doesn't come through their city? They have been spending money for years and sending their councilmembers on train trips around the world!

Now thats an excess!

[the brain]

to bs detector,

Staff travel is authorized by authority director Leheay or his designee and not placed on directors agenda.

[Patricia]

"...a densely-packed, urban metropolis, where citizens live in high-rises and are forced into mass transit."

That used to be called "living above the store" or living in a tenement. Now they call it "the new urbanism." They aren't fooling anyone!