End of Fiscal Year Bonuses

George Grand

This always happens. 30 Sep ends the fiscal year for the gov't., and we haven't used all the flying hours allocated to us. When this happens, units all around the country feel that if they don't use what was allocated to them THIS year, less flying hours will be allocated to them NEXT year. Sooooo, we gin up trips that do squat, to as many low visibility spots as possible to burn up said unused hours.

Next week I'll be going to San Juan.......for dinner. That's right, leave Jersey, get to San Juan 4-5 hours later, and check into the El San Juan Towers hotel in the Isla Verde section over by the big airport. This is directly across the street from The Metropole restaurant, world reknowned as the finest Cubano restaurant outside of Havana. The Metropole is also right next door to the place that has cockfights, but that's not for me. After dinner at The Metropole, I will retire to the bar and grill next door to the ESJ Towers for a Grand Marnier marguerita or four. I can't remember the name of the place, but last time I was there, it was owned by former New York Yankee douchebag (old Brooklyn Dodger fan here) pitcher Ed Figueroa. I will conclude this whirlwind day, with a trip to the Class 6 store on the military portion of the airport. The Class 6 store is where you buy booze. By the case. Last time I was there a case of Bacardi Black one liter bottles was about $36. This is the stuff I distribute at Christmas to the Waste Management technicians, mailman, UPS guy, recycling guys, etc. that service my home. It buys an awful lot of "goodwill" for me. PR is a U.S. possession, and therefore no duty is tendered on this hooch. Many years ago, I came back from a weeklong trip there, with a 4 man crew, and we brought about 80 cases of booze back with us.

Thank you Uncle Sugar.

I'm also on the road this week from tomorrow morning to Saturday afternoon, gracing the Florida Panhandle and Connecticut with my stately countenance on a real mission.

TroyD

Ain't life a ****?

You schmucks wearing a bag have it made. I got a new pair of steeltoe boots and nice set of gloves along with 3 new sets of DCU's.

BDT

cfrizz

ROFLOL!!!! Enjoy your trip, dinner & rum George!!!:D

Sounding a little green there Troy!;) I know what boots & gloves are, please explain bags & DCU's!

George Grand

Which is actually more than you deserve. Hey, it's not my fault they don't want ugly people performing aircrew duty.

A bag is a flying suit, and DCU's are desert camoulflaged utilities (what ugly people wear). He's green cause his wife wants me. Can you blame her?

TroyD

The man does have a point....

cfrizz

Too Funny! WAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!:D

Holydoc

It just kills me the way the government works. We continue to sink in debt and yet still spend frivously. I understand exactly where George is coming from. I work on a $8 million a year government contract where the government supplies all facilities and supply funds. The first few years that we worked the contract, we actually returned all the equipment funds that were not spent during that yeat. It happened exactly like George stated and the following years, the Government reduced the amount of supply funds allocated to us. This would of been fine if the cost of living was steady. However what happened is that the COL went up, and thus with the funds we were allocated, we could not adequately meet our needs anymore.

After the 5 year contract was over, we upped our need for funding and did not turn back any of the money. By the end of our second contract, we had adequate funding.

Just a support comment for George that the government actually penalizes you for trying to conserve money.

schwarcw

Enjoy the ride George! Make sure you have a drink on me! Order a second desert to take home. Send the bill to Mr. Bush.

TroyD

While everything Doc says is true....it's the nature of the beast and it just didn't get like this. It's always been like this.

That money is already spent, there is no provision to return it to the taxpayer. I'm not saying it's right but it's the way the system has been designed for many, many moons.

I'd also like to point out that what happens a lot of times is that what happens on the active duty side is that money that can't/won't get spent is then distributed among prioritized unfunded requirements. So in most cases it buys things like office furniture, needed equipment that was previously budgeted for etc etc... in my case, new boots, yada yada yada.

BDT

unc2701

Same here... I spent a month training every grad student who might ever work on this grant at any point in the future, just 'cause we had the money & needed to burn it.

Jstas

See, unless you are on the inside of this "spending" that everyone complains about, you don't really see it the way it is. These guys may get the chance to "indulge" in a sense on the taxpayer's dime but what you are hearing about is some "perks" that come along with it. Sure, they get paid just like everyone else but there are times when the work they do far exceeds the paycheck they get. So these boondogles to far off places to pad numbers are just making up for lost time and wages.

Have fun on your trip George! Unfortunatly, it's crunch time for us although mid October holds a couple of trips to San Diego and we are looking at Key West in early December!

danger boy

George have a good trip. and don't forget to pack your speedo swimsuit

PhantomOG

Ah... so the system was designed flaw and has always been flawed so I shouldn't mind my tax dollars being wasted.

Ah... so the goverment employee is the model of efficiency to which private companies can only dream of, so the money isn't really "wasted".

No, I don't have a quick solution to the problem but some of these rationalizations are just down right hilarious.

George Grand

We were tasked to perform a flyby at the Penn State football game that's coming up. A 1.1 hour total flight for us from takeoff to landing. We turned it into a flyby over the stadium, and then the airplane presses on to Sky Harbor Int'l. Airport in Phoenix for a nice overnighter for that crew. Also ginned up a 4 dayer to Eilsen AFB in Fairbanks, Alaska. Probably no shortage of volunteers on that one that want to fish or hunt. Not my cup of tea, I don't have any beef with the animals or the fish. Plus, they always make you live on the airbase up there, and I'm a luxury hotel kind of guy.

TroyD

PhantomOG wrote:

Ah... so the system was designed flaw and has always been flawed so I shouldn't mind my tax dollars being wasted.

Ah... so the goverment employee is the model of efficiency to which private companies can only dream of, so the money isn't really "wasted".

No, I don't have a quick solution to the problem but some of these rationalizations are just down right hilarious.

If you think such things don't go on in the private sector, you are SORELY mistaken.

Yeah, us gov't employees are really living in the lap of luxury. :rolleyes:

BDT

PhantomOG

There is a big difference between supporting a private company with my money (choice), and paying taxes (no choice).

And I never said anything about gov't employees living in the lap of luxury. My wife recently took a contract job with the government and she is astounded everyday with the wasted money. I'm not trying to place the blame on the government employees, its the system that's flawed, not the people. I was just trying to poke a little fun at what I saw as a very bad rationalization.

George Grand

I would like to have the monetary equivalent of what the gov't. wastes in paper products, in one minute of the average workday.

TroyD

PhantomOG wrote:

There is a big difference between supporting a private company with my money (choice), and paying taxes (no choice).

And I never said anything about gov't employees living in the lap of luxury. My wife recently took a contract job with the government and she is astounded everyday with the wasted money. I'm not trying to place the blame on the government employees, its the system that's flawed, not the people. I was just trying to poke a little fun at what I saw as a very bad rationalization.

It's not a bad rationalization. It's not a perfect system but if someone has a better idea, I'm all ears.

Yes, there are gov't abuses to be sure. However, the private sector has it's issues as well....CEO's of airlines are making millions while they are losing money hand over fist.

As for our hero, sure, he might get a night in a nice hotel and a good meal. Ask him how many less than stellar trips he's had.

Again, I understand your poking fun but you don't really have the whole picture.

BDT

RuSsMaN

I like Bacardi Special Black by the way.

Cheers,
Russ Q Taxpayer

George Grand

Figures you'd like that swill. I'll get you one or two. Bear in mind that it is illegal for me to ship that to you, and you'll have to come on up and retrieve it in person. We'll celebrate your arrival with Gosling's.

Bacardi Anejo is drinkable. So is Bacardi 1856 and Bacardi Special Reserve. But Bacardi Gold or Black? Uh-uh.

The trips are ALL stellar. Some are a lot less stellar than others. To be honest, after 30 years of this ****, I hate going anyplace. I like my backyard. I have to undertake a certain amount of travel however, and at this stage, I get to choose my own trips. I was just offered 3 weeks in Turkey. No thank you. If nothing else, I'm a dumb Greek, but not that dumb. Visited that place twice, just to drop people off and proceed to nicer places (Crete and Sicily). On both occasions, while the cargo and passengers were being de-planed and unloaded in Turkey, I elected to use the sit-down latrine facilities. It seemed the appropriate thing to do as a dumb Greek.

RuSsMaN

Actually, it's about $13/750ml down here - Bacardi SELECT (in a black bottle). Never had 1856, Special Reserve, Gold or Black. Did a dance with 151 once and that will NOT happen again. At least not until I plan to depart our little blue marble, because there is a greater chance than zero that will be the end result.

Yeah, Mark drank that **** (Bacardi Select) like kool-aid when he visited Rancho De Dirty Underbritches a few years back. You should have seen him trying to make sausage and biscuits at 4am, with one eye open. (he was cooking the biscuits on the stove)

Cheers,
Russ

Polkersince85

Anything you guys in the military get is fine with me. Thanks for what you do. I'm alive and have freedom.

dkg999

+1 on that!

I-SIG

GG,

Let me know if you stop by Davis-Monthan or Ft. Huachucha.

Wes

brettw22

George.........I've been to first base with Wendi........have you?

George Grand

No Brett. Troy eyeballs us like nobody's business when we're together.

Doro stopped by Tuesday and brought me a bottle of GOSLING'S 151. Didn't even know it existed.

Wes, I'd love to catch you and Steve on a D-M trip someday.

Jstas

George Grand wrote:

Doro stopped by Tuesday and brought me a bottle of GOSLING'S 151. Didn't even know it existed.

I told you that a couple of days ago! Now you can try it and tell ME how it is!

AndyGwis

+1 for Pork Barrel Spending.