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[Santo]

This sure isn't helping Detroit overcome its massive problems.

DETROIT - Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, whose city is struggling with a projected $230 million deficit, has charged at least $210,000 for travel, meals, a bottle of pricey champagne and other items on his city-issued credit card over nearly three years, public records show.

The charges cover the first 33 months of Kilpatrick's four-year term that began in January 2002. The Detroit Free Press said Tuesday that it obtained the records last month through a Michigan Freedom of Information Act request.

The purchases include 78 charges for meals over the 33 months, including a $283 bill at Danny's Grand Sea Palace in New York in January 2002 and a $456 bill at the Capital Grille in Washington in September 2003.

Kilpatrick's salary was about $176,000 before he said he would cut it by 10 percent, or $17,600, to help close the shortfall in Detroit's $1.6 billion budget.

The mayor's proposed budget for the fiscal year starting July 1 calls for 754 layoffs and assumes unions also will agree to a 10 percent pay cut, as well as changes in health benefits.

The money Kilpatrick put on the city's credit card could've saved 6 or 7 jobs. Way to go.

 

[whytemyke]

I really hate Kwame. Seriously.... he's got the city in arguably worse-shape than it was under Coleman Young. The only reason it has any stature now is because of the work that Dennis Archer did.

 

[Pimpwerx]

$210k in three years is stupid, any way you cut it. But citing those meals as examples of extravaggance isn't really convincing me. I'd have to see if those meals were just for him and another person or if that was a large group. I know my managers at IBM used the company CC to pay for group lunches, and we ate like cows at some fine restaurants. So a $500 bill doesn't suprise me all that much. But otherwise, this guy seems to have gone off the deep end with the city's expense account. PEACE.

 

[Santo]

$210k in three years is stupid, any way you cut it. But citing those meals as examples of extravaggance isn't really convincing me. I'd have to see if those meals were just for him and another person or if that was a large group. I know my managers at IBM used the company CC to pay for group lunches, and we ate like cows at some fine restaurants. So a $500 bill doesn't suprise me all that much. But otherwise, this guy seems to have gone off the deep end with the city's expense account. PEACE.

There's quite a difference from you putting money on a company CC (much less a huge corporation) than it is to use taxpayers dollars when the city is already in massive debt to buy yourself dinner and some wine.

And a $500 bill may not sound like a lot if it were for him and 20 others. But I myself have seen him out at a nice restaurant with his wife eating all the food in sight. Not to mention this 3 bodyguards that were there.