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Pocono News Section
State's Gaming Control Board Spends $27K on Conference
State's Gaming Control Board Spends $27K on Conference - Thursday, March 19, 2009 at 10:52PM EST
In the middle of a state budget crisis in Harrisburg, reports are surfacing that some members of the state's Gaming Control Board took a posh trip to Italy. Tens of thousands of dollars were racked up in bills.
Gaming Control Board member Ray Angeli talked with us about a trip to Rome that's stirring a lot of controversy. “It was a nice opportunity to take a look at what's going on in the rest of the world,” said Angeli.
Angeli, and three other board members spent in excess of $27,000 on a 5-day gaming conference in Rome, Italy, according to records. Limo service, hotel and restaurant charges, pool and mini bar service were all charged by gaming board members.
“Well, we had scheduled this ahead of time and already funded it. So, we asked the governor's office what do you want to do here,” said Angeli.
Being that the trip had already been scheduled, the governor's office told us, "We will not second-guess the board's decision to follow through with its non-refundable travel plan… This incident does not tarnish the board's reputation for good fiscal management."
The Gaming Control Board is funded by casino revenue, not direct tax-payer dollars. But, that hasn't quashed outrage during what the governor has called an economic crisis in Harrisburg.
This trip came before travel restrictions were put in place. | |
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