佛州州长欧洲12天商务考察耗费43K

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http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=95560

TALLAHASSEE - Gov. Charlie Crist took a pricey 12-day trip to Europe this
summer, hitting taxpayers with a $430,000 bill amid a sagging economy, a
newspaper reported.

Crist flew to London, Paris, St. Petersburg and Madrid to drum up business
in July on a trip that was supposed to cost $255,000, but the tab came in
much higher, the Sun Sentinel reported today.

Expenses included Crists' entourage of more than two dozen, including a
photographer and nine bodyguards, who alone spent more than $148,000 on
meals, hotels, transportation and incidentals. The news comes as the state
budget has a roughly $2 billion deficit.

Crists' office says fostering overseas business is even more important when
the economy is hurting and has been "instrumental in keeping our state from
greater distress," spokeswoman Erin Isaac said in a statement e-mailed to
The Associated Press on Sunday.

State money was not used to pay for Crist's roughly $30,000 in expenses.
Business executives who went on the trip picked up that bill - which
included a $2,179 a night London suite, where he conducted meetings.

First class tickets for about $8,000 round-trip, room service and minibar
tabs of more than $1,300. And $320 on electric fans to keep him cool while
giving speeches, the newspaper reported.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey, was also
there on a crime-solving agreement with British police. He billed taxpayers
$5,135 for less than 12 hours of official duties during four days, the
newspaper reported.

He stayed an extra week at his own expense. His spokeswoman said he was on
call around the clock and complied with state travel and vacation policies.

The company that organized the trip said the hotel costs were not
extraordinary by European standards and that they negotiated rates wisely,
but the weak dollar posed a challenge.

Former Gov. Jeb Bush used tax dollars to cover his costs on similar trade
missions.

Crist's office said the countries he visited combined have more than 900
companies in the state employing some 50,000 Floridians and have invested
nearly $6 billion in our economy.

"These nations are strategic trading partners with Florida," Isaac said in a
statement.

Florida corporations made $5.5 million in sales and laid the groundwork for
an additional $96 million in deals and 2,245 new high-tech jobs during the
trip, according to Enterprise Florida, the company that arranged the trip.

A Spanish company also said it would negotiate to build a solar-energy plant
in Florida during the trip. Other officials promised greater cooperation
between Florida and European companies, universities and law enforcement.

Some political experts speculate Crist used the trip to bolster his image in
foreign affairs. At the time, he was widely speculated to be a potential
running mate for Sen. John McCain.

"This was a way of increasing his gravitas, his bona fides in foreign policy
," Florida political expert Robert Watson, director of American studies at
Lynn University in Boca Raton. "Charlie can say that even though he's
governor, he's met with all of these world leaders."

Crist gave TV and newspaper interviews in London and repeatedly answered
questions about whether he would be the Republican vice-presidential nominee.

About 65 Florida business executives accompanied Crist, including lobbyists
and two people with ties to the sugar industry. At the time, the state was
negotiating a $1.75 billion deal to purchase large tracts of sugar fields
for Everglades restoration.

Crist's fiancee, Carole Rome, and her sister also went along. The couple met
Prince Andrew at Buckingham Palace and Prince Charles at Clarence House and
sipped cocktails with the British Foreign Office minister.

乐观人生

等等看!

乐观人生

搞快点！
算了，我去找十多年不用的英语词典

小麦子

商务考察=公费旅游？谁会心疼公家的钱？