jimbarry 0 #1 December 19, 2004 We're at war! Let's go to Hawaii! Ah yes, Tom Ridge relaxing by the pool. Classic. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jimbo 0 #2 December 19, 2004 Disgusting. I agree that the DHS was/is necessary in these times, and I'll cut them some slack for being brand new, but this is unexcusable and a blatent waste of -my- money. Isn't Ridge stepping down soon? Hopefully his successor will do a better job at running the DHS. - Jim"Like" - The modern day comma Good bye, my friends. You are missed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #3 December 19, 2004 QuoteWe're at war! Let's go to Hawaii! What location do you think would better serve for an Asian/Pacific Homeland Security meeting? If they had held it in Washington, D.C. to keep Tom Ridge from having to travel, then more of everyone else there would have had to travel, and to travel further. Thus, this central location might have actually been the *cheapest* location for everyone in this regional group to gather. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #4 December 19, 2004 Quotethis is unexcusable and a blatent waste of -my- money. Did you read the article? Quote: "with most of the cost paid for by corporations..." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChasingBlueSky 0 #5 December 19, 2004 QuoteWhat location do you think would better serve for an Asian/Pacific Homeland Security meeting? You didn't read the full article did you? The delegates at the meeting are stationed in Washington DC. Ridge could have walked to their offices. Here is that quote: QuoteIronically, the 10 highest-ranking Asian officials Ridge met with all came to Hawaii from Washington, D.C., themselves, where they work in their countries' embassies. This is disgusting as well: Quote"It doesn't look good, clearly," Ervin said. "It seems to me the priority of this department ought to be spending every dollar on its core mission, and of course the core of that mission is counter-terrorism. And so every dollar that's spent on something that does not relate directly to the mission of the department is a dollar that's wasted." Over the last year, Ervin has issued a series of startling reports on how tens of millions of dollars have gone unaccounted for at Homeland Security, including a Transportation Security Administration awards ceremony with bloated expenses of close to $500,000 — $1,850 was spent for seven sheet cakes. $85,000 was paid to an event planner. _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,150 #6 December 19, 2004 QuoteQuotethis is unexcusable and a blatent waste of -my- money. Did you read the article? Quote: "with most of the cost paid for by corporations..." Tax deductible, of course. So some of the cost gets passed back to taxpayers.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #7 December 20, 2004 QuoteYou didn't read the full article did you? The delegates at the meeting are stationed in Washington DC. Ridge could have walked to their offices. Here is that quote: QuoteIronically, the 10 highest-ranking Asian officials Ridge met with all came to Hawaii from Washington, D.C., I read not only that article, but went beyond that to other sources, sources which don't report in a biased and negative sensationalized manner. Here's a quote for you about the attendees: "more than 600 delegates from 19 nations, economies and U.S. Territories". So we've got your 10 delegates, versus 590 others... Gee, why do youi suppose those reporters didn't mention that? Because they weren't interested in reporting the whole truth - only the part that made Bush look bad. And you Bush-haters just lap it up like manna from heaven without bothering to check the facts for yourself. And since the cost was mostly paid for by private corporations, it's not much of a hit on the taxpayers anyway. You're like a 'coon-hunting dog barking up at an empty tree. Source: http://hlssummit.hawaii.gov/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChasingBlueSky 0 #8 December 20, 2004 QuoteSo we've got your 10 delegates, versus 590 others... Gee, why do youi suppose those reporters didn't mention that? They never said "only 10" they said "the 10 highest ranking" I didn't see spin in that. My reading comprehension skills made me believe there were more delegates there from the way they had it worded. How many do you think Ridge actually met with? Quoteonly the part that made Bush look bad. Huh? Could you point out where in that article it said anything about Bush? This is a rip on the DHS and their money spending habits. This even came from a person within the DHS. You want to see this as Bush bashing when it was DHS bashing. Quote And since the cost was mostly paid for by private corporations, it's not much of a hit on the taxpayers anyway. Mostly paid for by sponsors, the rest was picked up by the DHS. I believe the artilcle documented the money problems that office is having. How is Ridge taking time to work on his tan during "office" hours on the taxpayer's dollars helping us? QuoteYou're like a 'coon-hunting dog barking up at an empty tree. Says the man that posts every piece of NRA propaganda and pro-gun stories. (and before you think I am anti-gun, just remember I am a gun owner)_________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #9 December 20, 2004 QuoteWhat location do you think would better serve for an Asian/Pacific Homeland Security meeting? Anywhere on the Pac-Rim would have been a great choice. Seattle has made huge strides at securing their ports, airports, near by boarder with Canada and has suffered through things like the WTO riots... I'd think they would be a great city to hold it in since they have a lot of practical experience with security situations. Not to mention that they have confrenence centers that are state of the art and at a fraction of the cost of Hawaii and overseas travel. Depending on the number of delagates and their locations Hawaii might have been the most affordable for DHS. But looking at http://hlssummit.hawaii.gov/2004content/attendees.htm in my opinion it looks like some people were invited just since they were already in Hawaii. What does the Chamber of Commerce have to do with Homeland Security? Jim Tollefson President & CEO I can understand hotel/tourist centers needing to be in the loop on Security concerns but why: Al Treutler Director of Security Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and not every hotel chain on the Island also if its so important? Chamber of Commerce of HawaiiYesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jimbo 0 #10 December 20, 2004 QuoteDid you read the article? Yes. And I'll be honest, my first thought was similar to yours, "Duh, of course it's in Hawaii, it's the Asia/Pacific . . .", but after reading that 10 of the top dignitaries were sitting pretty in their Washington embassies only a few miles from Mr. Ridge, I got a little upset. - Jim"Like" - The modern day comma Good bye, my friends. You are missed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
downwardspiral 0 #11 December 20, 2004 OMG they caught him sitting outside by the pool. What a horrible person. Where is a good rope when you need one? Maybe the next DHS Secretary will do his "essential government business" somewhere more appropriate where ever the fuck that is. What I find interesting is the writers conveniently forget to mention exactly how long Ridge and his aids were "basking in the sun." Perhaps it was intentional because it wasn't a long enough amount of time to warrant an honorable mention? Hawaii is obviously the best place considering the list of delegates. http://hlssummit.hawaii.gov/index.html Note that there were around 100 international delegates yet the article only pointed out those based in Washington DCwww.FourWheelerHB.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jdhill 0 #12 December 20, 2004 Quote"the 10 highest ranking" 10 Highest Ranking does not necessarily equal 10 Most Important... and what was their basis of the "ranking" anyway? What was the incramental cost of Ridge being there? Probably less than $20K, and there was probably more to the event than just Ridge... Was it the best use of the resources? Maybe, maybe not... But if you want to pick on DHS, there are plenty of other opportunities. JAll that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. - Edmund Burke Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ron 10 #13 December 20, 2004 According to this http://hlssummit.hawaii.gov/2003summit.html Its also where they had the 2003 meeting. Also if you look at the list of people speaking seem like there are tons from the Asia-Pacific area at the Asia-Pacific Homeland Security Summit and Exposition. DC is not in Asia, or in the Asia-Pacific area. I suspect that the National Orange Juice Council meets in FL, and the Civil War Assosiation tends not to meet in Alaska. Go figure?"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #14 December 20, 2004 QuoteHow is Ridge taking time to work on his tan during "office" hours on the taxpayer's dollars helping us? It's not helping America when he sleeps or takes a shit either, but I'm not going to tell the guy he doesn't deserve to take those breaks once in a while. QuoteSays the man that posts every piece of NRA propaganda and pro-gun stories. I don't believe I've ever posted a starter message using something from the NRA. If you can prove me wrong - go for it. Do you have some kind of a problem with pro-gun stories? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,120 #15 December 20, 2004 >It's not helping America when he sleeps or takes a shit either . . . I think he'd be pretty ornery if he never did either one of those things. So it's probably helping indirectly. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jdhill 0 #16 December 20, 2004 Maybe sitting by a pool in Hawaii is helping his demeanor too. I know it helped mine about a month and a half ago J Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,120 #17 December 20, 2004 >Maybe sitting by a pool in Hawaii is helping his demeanor too. True. Of course, letting our troops see their families once every six months or so would probably do a lot more for them than a Hawaiian vacation would for a politician - and I place a higher priority on their needs than Ridge's. But when all's said and done, it's probably not reasonable to keep our politicians from pooping - even if it would save millions on congressional toilet paper. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhillyKev 0 #18 December 20, 2004 My impression is that they are saving the money on TP by replacing it with the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jdhill 0 #19 December 20, 2004 Sure, it would be nice to get the troops that kind of break, but the cost of ridge's trip would not even touch it... ABC caught him at the pool, and their report would suggest he spent the whole day there... My guess is he was there for an hour or two... The whole story has the "We got ya - a la National Enquirer" kinda smell to it. J Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChasingBlueSky 0 #20 December 20, 2004 QuoteSure, it would be nice to get the troops that kind of break, but the cost of ridge's trip would not even touch it... ABC caught him at the pool, and their report would suggest he spent the whole day there... My guess is he was there for an hour or two... The whole story has the "We got ya - a la National Enquirer" kinda smell to it. J It doesn't matter if he spends time at the pool on his free time, or lunch break. But when the agenda is listed as "office time" that means he is on the clock and should be working on DHS stuff, not his tan._________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
downwardspiral 0 #21 December 20, 2004 How do you know he wasn't working? Do you have video of Ridge working on his tan?www.FourWheelerHB.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jdhill 0 #22 December 20, 2004 Well, he's wearing a shirt, so that can't do too much for a tan... have you ever been "on the clock" but not in the "office" or in "office attire"? The tone of the article questions the justification for him, or anyone from DHS it seems, being at a conference in Hawaii. Could there be a reasonable justification for being on the pool deck during office time? A working breakfast, or informal discussions with his staff... for all we know there are a team of his spring-butts just off camera... J Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChasingBlueSky 0 #23 December 20, 2004 QuoteWell, he's wearing a shirt, so that can't do too much for a tan... have you ever been "on the clock" but not in the "office" or in "office attire"? J Nope. Never._________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jdhill 0 #24 December 20, 2004 QuoteNope. Never. Well, I can assure you that it happens, particularly on trips... some of my most productive time is out of the office in informal environments. J Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MC208B 0 #25 December 20, 2004 Hell, I have the best demeanor possible cause I live and work in Maui Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
