[OnTheIce]

Donny_Brasco Donny_Brasco:

Whoever is arguing against this pittance spent on a little booze obviously has no clue about the cost of doing business.

If you idiots want to serve top water and make your clients pay for their own beer when your out for supper...start your own businesses and see how quickly your customers avoid you like the plague.

Very well said.

Akhenaten, it's not frivolous spending. As Donny said, like anything, there's a cost of doing business.

Are we going to invite dignitaries from around the World and usher them to the drinking fountain in the hall for a sip of water?

Let's get back to reality.

[Akhenaten]

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

Donny_Brasco Donny_Brasco:

Whoever is arguing against this pittance spent on a little booze obviously has no clue about the cost of doing business.

If you idiots want to serve top water and make your clients pay for their own beer when your out for supper...start your own businesses and see how quickly your customers avoid you like the plague.

Very well said.

Akhenaten, it's not frivolous spending. As Donny said, like anything, there's a cost of doing business.

Are we going to invite dignitaries from around the World and usher them to the drinking fountain in the hall for a sip of water?

Let's get back to reality.

Well sure but we don't know how it was spent. All of those drinks were intended for dignitaries and perspective business investors? I'd like to know for sure.

[Guy_Fawkes]

Im sure quite a bit of it was spent on gift packs of 40yrs old Canadian scotch.

[Donny_Brasco]

Akhenaten Akhenaten:

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

Donny_Brasco Donny_Brasco:

Whoever is arguing against this pittance spent on a little booze obviously has no clue about the cost of doing business.

If you idiots want to serve top water and make your clients pay for their own beer when your out for supper...start your own businesses and see how quickly your customers avoid you like the plague.

Very well said.

Akhenaten, it's not frivolous spending. As Donny said, like anything, there's a cost of doing business.

Are we going to invite dignitaries from around the World and usher them to the drinking fountain in the hall for a sip of water?

Let's get back to reality.

Well sure but we don't know how it was spent. All of those drinks were intended for dignitaries and perspective business investors? I'd like to know for sure.

Lol, it is $178,000 for 450,000 government employees. Each department has their spending criteria. If you want to spend your own money tracking down every red penny then GO RIGHT AHEAD.

How about saying the serenity prayer a few thousand times and try not to lose sleep because the director of the National Arts Board bought me and my brother a beer when we flew with him to Ottawa last month...and we're not even artists!!

CAN YOU IMAGINE THE OUTRAGE IF THE CANADIAN PUBLIC KNEW!!!!

[Guy_Fawkes]

Wow thats $.40 a head...

[OnTheIce]

Akhenaten Akhenaten:

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

Donny_Brasco Donny_Brasco:

Whoever is arguing against this pittance spent on a little booze obviously has no clue about the cost of doing business.

If you idiots want to serve top water and make your clients pay for their own beer when your out for supper...start your own businesses and see how quickly your customers avoid you like the plague.

Very well said.

Akhenaten, it's not frivolous spending. As Donny said, like anything, there's a cost of doing business.

Are we going to invite dignitaries from around the World and usher them to the drinking fountain in the hall for a sip of water?

Let's get back to reality.

Well sure but we don't know how it was spent. All of those drinks were intended for dignitaries and perspective business investors? I'd like to know for sure.

How much are you willing to pay to know for sure? The cost would FAR outweigh any potential savings from cutting one beer here and one beer there.

See, for such a small amount of money compared to the amount of employees, it's not very much all considering.

[Akhenaten]

Donny_Brasco Donny_Brasco:

Akhenaten Akhenaten:

Well sure but we don't know how it was spent. All of those drinks were intended for dignitaries and perspective business investors? I'd like to know for sure.

Lol, it is $178,000 for 450,000 government employees. Each department has their spending criteria. If you want to spend your own money tracking down every red penny then GO RIGHT AHEAD.

How about saying the serenity prayer a few thousand times and try not to lose sleep because the director of the National Arts Board bought me and my brother a beer when we flew with him to Ottawa last month...and we're not even artists!!

CAN YOU IMAGINE THE OUTRAGE IF THE CANADIAN PUBLIC KNEW!!!!

Four exclamation marks? Really? Really? Are you going to be ok?

Well not for nothing but it doesn't say anything about 450,000 government employees, it doesn't say anything about exactly who they mean at all. It does exclude a few groups:

The Article The Article:

According to documents tabled in the House of Commons this week, civil servants spent $168,873 on alcohol in the 2008/09 fiscal year.

That figure does not include government bodies which purchased alcohol for resale to the public as part of their business such as Via Rail, Downsview Park or the National Arts Centre.

With those groups excluded, the government body that reported the highest amount of spending on alcohol was Farm Credit Canada which spent $18,805. That was followed closely by Marine Atlantic Inc., which charged $18,000 worth of booze to taxpayers.

And that’s just a portion of the money the government likely spent on alcohol.

While some of the more than 100 departments and agencies that reported Monday were able to come up with figures on how much they spent, others pleaded their accounting systems didn’t allow them to access that level of detail.

On the ice On the ice:

How much are you willing to pay to know for sure? The cost would FAR outweigh any potential savings from cutting one beer here and one beer there.

Nothing. I'd settle for a little "tightening of the belt" finger wagging.

[OnTheIce]

itsanalias itsanalias:

Well Donny, as a business owner myself, I can honestly tell you that the total amounts I've expensed in socializing- wining & dining - for the current year $387.48. Of which $0.00 was alcohol.
First off, I let all clients know straight off the top that I have strict beliefs that business and alcohol don't mix. Second, I have a zero tolerance for the consumption of alcohol and driving. If they can't respect that, then I'm not sure I want to do business with them. Not only that, it eliminates any chance of liability on my end from alcohol being a factor if they were involved in an accident later.
Selling your business, product to a prospective client should be based on your record, performance, reputation and quality of service, not how much you're willing to kiss their ass or spend on them to bribe their business your way.

So yes, I suppose I do do things the hard way, using good old hard fashioned work ethics.

And while it's your prerogative to run your business as you see fit, there's businesses where gatherings, socializing and networking are of the utmost importance.

That may not be the way you see things or what you consider "right" but that's how it's done in a lot of industries.

[Guy_Fawkes]

The military spend A LOT on alcohol, for mess functions excreta, do you suggest they stop?

[poquas]

A business owner is entitled to do as they please. A civil service employee who is paid as a result of taxes paid should not have that freedom.

[Guy_Fawkes]

Now if you’re both done with your mutual masturbation, care to answer my question?

[OnTheIce]

itsanalias itsanalias:

A fair enough statement in of itself.

Perhaps if we adopted that way of thinking though we wouldn't have the deficit we're living with or the 'feeding at the trough' mentality that our MP, MPP or MLA's. Let alone the bloated civil services or their union demands which this country has fallen slave to.

poquas poquas:

A business owner is entitled to do as they please. A civil service employee who is paid as a result of taxes paid should not have that freedom.

Now that's a statement which I believe in. Couldn't have said it better poquas. It's too bad more don't share that belief.

I suppose it could well be that I'm just too fiscally Conservative for some of the more Liberal posters here.

How much red tape do we need?

Do we need bureaucrats running to the phone to ask if they can buy someone a drink who's in from another Country? You need people with a resonable amount of control to allow the purchase of a beer or two.

We're talking about such a tiny amount of money all considering the amount of employees, travel, conferences, meetings.

And really, who are we trying to kid? These stories come out for one purpose and they often have little to do with solving a problem but a lot to do with serving a political agenda.

[Guy_Fawkes]

Right so esprit du corps means nothing to ya, I guess soldiers shouldn’t have any social gatherings to promote camaraderie or a close knit group of family. Not to mention the hundreds of years of history and tradition that come into account, Im glad you don’t run any military function. It appears that its people like you that are eroding some of the best parts of being a soldier.

[poquas]

Bottom line. You don't use my money to pay for your friends drink.

[PublicAnimalNo9]

The military is one area I don't have an issue with. These people put the ultimate pricetag on the line when asked. They really don't ask for a whole lot in return. You think a bunch of snivel servants is going to die for you??? If you could see me right now, you'd notice I'm not holding my breath.