UPDATE: Drago’s campaign says Drago found some “discrepancies” and “trips she actually canceled” on the list; Drago was in a meeting this afternoon, but said she’d get back to us with specific examples soon.
Since 2006, City Council member and mayoral candidate Jan Drago has traveled to at least a dozen countries—including China, India, Iceland, the United Arab Emirates, and Finland—at a total cost to city taxpayers of $43,288.59, city records reveal. In addition to the 44 days Drago spent on city-funded trips outside Seattle between August 2008 and January 2009, which I reported here, Drago traveled to:
• India, between November 12 and November 24, 2006, on a business trade mission. Total cost to taxpayers: $7,272.
• Brazil, on a sustainability trade trip between October 7 and October 16, 2006. Total cost to taxpayers: $4,146.
• Japan, on an international study mission between May 11 and May 19, 2007. Total cost to taxpayers: $5,255.
• Austin, Texas, on an inter-city study mission between March 26 and March 28, 2008. Total cost to taxpayers: $2,556.
• Uzbekistan, on the 35th Anniversary Sister Cities Trip, between August 22 and September 2, 2008. Total cost to taxpayers: $1,645.
• Iceland, on a sister city visit to Reykjavik between May 24 and May 31, 2008. Total cost to taxpayers: $1,710.
Drago has not yet responded to calls and emails for comment about her travel expenses. However, in response to my earlier public records request, a Drago staffer asserted that her 33-day sojourn in China was “invaluable” in obtaining a multi-million-dollar contract for a Kent-based company that creates deep-bore tunnels like the one proposed to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct.
Mayor Greg Nickels has criticized Drago’s extensive travel schedule, accusing her in a May press release of “spen[ding] thousands of taxpayer dollars in recent months acting as Seattle’s self-appointed ambassador to the world.” Nickels’s own schedule, obtained through a public disclosure request, reveals that the mayor was out of town only around 24 days during the six months beginning in December 2008 (compared to Drago’s 44 days out of town during the six months beginning in August 2008). More significantly, Nickels was only out of the country for five of those days—on an intercity study mission to Montreal in May 2009.
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I don’t know if this is very informative, unless put into perspective with other city council members, is it? Is this an unusual amount of travel? Relative to the city budget, $44k seems like small beer.
I’m no fan of Drago, though, and I’m happy to see a catfight break out between her and Nickels.
I would say, based on my admittedly informal knowledge of the council’s travel habits (I’ve covered the council since 2001) that Jan does travel more than other council members. However, you’re absolutely right that the only way to absolutely confirm this would be to request all nine council members’ schedules. Interestingly, because of budgetary concerns at the city, the council recently started requiring council members to pay their own way on junkets that were formerly paid for by the city.
I reckon the pay-your-own-way rule will keep the cows a little closer to the barn.
I’d also guess that a lot of the productive stuff that happens on a fact-finding trip (“junket” seems so pejorative!) can be done on the phone or a video teleconference. A bit trickier to set up, maybe, but if you can save $3k, probably worth it. The other advantage is that such meetings could be recorded and shared with the public.
Jan’s staff member needs to explain why Seattle taxpayers should pay for a junket that benefits a Kent company.
Drago’s 33-day trip to China benefited a KENT company? Way to support City of Seattle businesses, Jan.
This does look bad on its face.
Too bad we don’t know all about where Nickels was during the same time period.
For instance: was Nickels on personal vacation around the time of last year’s snowstorm? If so, where?
I guarantee that Drago has been overseas more often then she has been in my Seattle neighborhood. These trips are junkets. You don’t need to know how her travel compares to any other councilmember’s.
A business in Kent probably provides jobs for Seattle workers.
Erica,
It might have saved you time to have one of your bosses, Sandeep, who doubles as a Nickels campaign spokesperson, write this piece.
Maybe there’s a wall between your work and Sandeep? Just how does this work? Is there a force field that selectively bars Sandeep’s paying job from his money-losing work with you?
Reader, beware.
$2,556 for two nights in Austin?? The cost of the other trips make sense, but that’s a lot of shots on 6th Street.
Backward–
Get over it. They’re not keeping any of this a secret. FYI: Cynara Lilly works for Ross Hunter.
@9: Are you disputing the number? Because, for four years, this is a pretty big number.
@9: Sandeep is not my boss. Also: See @11. The fact that Sandeep makes money as a consultant is not a secret.
Memo to ECB:
“Sandeep is not my boss. The fact that Sandeep makes money as a consultant is not a secret.”
ECB, you have a great future in bull shit.
Sandeep is a partner in the company that employs you.
Sandeep working as a consultant — is a sly, propagandist way of watering down the point. He makes money working for Greg Nickels–truly, you don’t see the point? (Or is this the point where Sandeep says he doesn’t work for Nickels, just the donors to Nickels — a logic that means that nobody works for Nickels because they work for the taxpayers or the campaign.)
Finally, the point that something is not a secret is really besides the point. A disclosed conflict remains a conflict — and your own effort to water down that point suggests you feel it.
Now I can anticipate your next response — you don’t have to read Publicola. And yes, you don’t have to call yourself a journalist. Call yourself something edgy. Neo-post-modern ethicist?
Bull shitter seems more on topic.
And to think you had a problem with Crosscut.
Can’t wait to see how Publicola expands into other topics. How about the Storm’s PR director writing about politics at Seattle Center.
Readers, beware.
I reckon the pay-your-own-way rule will keep the cows a little closer to the barn.
I'd also guess that a lot of the productive stuff that happens on a fact-finding trip (“junket” seems so pejorative!) can be done on the phone or a video teleconference. A bit trickier to set up, maybe, but if you can save $3k, probably worth it. The other advantage is that such meetings could be recorded and shared with the public.