Don't know why this is suxch a big deal, but the Oklahoman seemed to think it was news worthy. The state is paying for Henry to go to the Holiday Bowl in San Diego. Personally, I see know problem with it, as he is representing the state by being there.

What do you think?

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State funds Governor's bowl trip

From Staff and Wire Reports
SAN DIEGO -- Governor Henry and his family are in San Diego today to cheer on the Sooners in the Holiday Bowl. The Henrys are part of Oklahoma's bowl delegation and their trip to San Diego is being paid with state funds.

Henry and his family arrived in San Diego on Tuesday night. Oklahoma faces Oregon in the Holiday Bowl tonight.

Henry's communication director, Paul Sund, said that after the game the family will take a few days off before returning to the state. The Henrys will spend time in San Diego and Mexico before returning next week.

Sund said the rest of the trip will be paid with private money because it is a personal vacation. While Henry is away, Lt. Gov. Mary Fallin is filling in as chief executive.

I can understand the governor and his wife getting their way paid to be there, since they are part of the delegation, however, I feel if their children went with them, then they should pay their own way.

There is always that loophole, though, that politicians use, in order to get trips paid by taxpayers. They throw a little "business" in their trip so that they don't have to foot the bill.

The article stated the vacation portion of the trip was going to be paid by the Governor. Personally, I see nothing wrong with this, and know that people do it all the time. As long as we're not footing the bill for their actual vacation, then who cares? We pay for their flights...big deal. We'd pay for them anyway, even if they didn't take a few extra days for vacation. I'd actually be concerned about someone who wasn't frugal enough to do this.

There are much more serious things going on in state politics. This is so beside-the-point... The Oklahoman should be investigating the ways that the taxpayers really get screwed.. like with OCURA, or the State Fair, or ODOT and the Highway lobby.

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It's a friendlier OKCTalk!

The Jokelahoman only investigates democrats such as Carroll Fisher or Gene Stipe...they dont investigate republicans.

They investigated the heck out of Keating for similar trips.

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It's a friendlier OKCTalk!

What I have a bigger problem with is that Henry was gone to the Holiday Bowl and Mexico while we were burning here in Oklahoma. Texas Gov. Perry was in Texas touring wildfire ravaged areas and applying to the federal government for assistance. Henry was on vacation. Great leadership.

When I worked for the Government---the last 10 years or so of my employment, I had to do some traveling---a week here and there to a contractor or an Air Force Base.

When it was feasible and did not interfere with the job that had to be done, I scheduled a vacation to coincide with the trip, and my wife accompanied me---I even scheduled NECESSARY trips to coincide with when wife could accompany me, but I never let it interfere with the needs of the job. (Yes! In a scenario like this, the employee gets his expenses paid, and he or she must pay for the spouse's expenses even to the extent of the added expense of the lodging, and I always paid her way: It still made for a cheap vacation.)

As far as Henry's trip, I don't see a need for a governor to go at the taxpayers' expense to a ball game, but that is part of the PR, so I will not fight it. I guess you see from my first paragraph that I see nothing wrong with his scheduling a vacation to coincide.

Pete

Now that is a scary thought

It sure is, and while an Independent, I am a lot more Republican than I am Democrat.

Guess she has any trooper to choose from while her boss is gone! No rules. No one to answer to. LOL! I shouldn't have said that.