Porker of the Week Award

PORKER OF THE WEEK AWARD

(Washington, DC - November 17, 2004) "Less than one month after issuing a 'Porker Award' to the Transportation Security Administration for $49 million in overpayments to Boeing, I am once again highlighting the agency for wasting nearly a half-million dollars for a celebration party.

"Guests at the party wined-and-dined at a lavish hotel in Washington, D.C., where they ate at a buffet of finger food, coffee and cake that averaged $33 per person. Seven cakes cost $265 apiece and three cheese platters cost a total of $1,500.

"The event planning company was paid more than $85,000 for its work and was given an additional $81,767 for plaques, $5,196 for official photographs, $1,486 for three balloon arches and $1,509 for signs. Awards were presented to 543 TSA employees, including a 'lifetime achievement award' for one employee of the two-year-old agency.

"While the TSA has done some excellent work, there is no question that this party was in poor taste and was a brazen waste of taxpayer money. There is no place for the TSA to be so congratulatory when our nation is still faced with very real and very serious security threats. The TSA gets my 'Porker of the Week' Award."