The smiling gentleman to the right is Delquan Dorsey the Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Minority Empowerment. We'll have a question for Mr. Dorsey at the end of this post.
All of the numbers below come from Kentucky’s Transparency Portal.
From fiscal year 2007 to the present the Commonwealth of Kentucky paid American Express $55,184,597.70 in charges made by various cabinets. Most of the charges were for travel both in state and out of state.
In addition to the over $55 million to American Express the Department for Community Based Services charged $838,476.30 to the Diners Club for travel.
These charges did not include all of the per diem of employees, nor did it include all of the hotel charges. Charges to the hotels include charges for non-state employees, miscellaneous commodities & other expenses, Promotional Entertainment Expenses, and miscellaneous services Not Otherwise Classified.
Below are just a few of the hotel charges.
HILTON ALEXANDRIA MARK CENTER, Education & Workforce Development Cabinet, Department Of Education, Travel Exp. & Exp. Allowances Travel For Non-State Employees Dec 01, 2006 $3,206.40
HILTON BURLINGTON Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Resources Travel Exp. & Exp. Allowances Out-Of-State Travel Aug 28, 2007 $1,935.84
Hilton Cincinnati Netherlands Plaza Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Resources Travel Exp. & Exp. Allowances Out-Of-State Travel Jan 14, 2010 $1,420.96
HILTON GARDEN INN Judicial Cabinet Judicial Department Travel Exp. & Exp. Allowances In-State Travel Jan 03, 2008 $11,234.47
HILTON GARDEN INN Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet Kentucky State Fair Board Travel Exp. & Exp. Allowances In-State Travel Jan 04, 2010 $3,652.28
Hilton Garden Inn - Kalispell Environmental & Public Protection Cabinet Department For Environmental Protection Travel Exp. & Exp. Allowances Out-Of-State Travel Jan 04, 2008 $2,187.08
HILTON GARDEN INN TAMPA Health & Family Services Cabinet Department for Community Based Services Travel Exp. & Exp. Allowances Out-Of-State Travel Sep 27, 2007 $1,995.84
HILTON GREATER CINCINNATI AIRP Education & Workforce Development Cabinet Department for Libraries & Archives Travel Exp. & Exp. Allowances In-State Travel Aug 07, 2007 $1,923.81
HILTON GREATER CINCINNATI AIRP Cabinet of the General Government Agricultural Development Board Travel Exp. & Exp. Allowances In-State Travel Aug 20, 2007 $5,848.01
HILTON ORLANDO BONNET CREEK Cabinet for Universities Council On Postsecondary Education Travel Exp. & Exp. Allowances Out-Of-State Travel Jan 06, 2011 $5,878.15
HILTON ST LOUIS @ THE BALLPARK Justice & Public Safety Cabinet Department For Public Advocacy Travel Exp. & Exp. Allowances Travel For Non-State Employees Aug 17, 2007 $3,509.70
HILTON SUITES LEXINGTON GREEN Cabinet of the General Government Department Of Military Affairs Travel Exp. & Exp. Allowances Travel For Non-State Employees Jul 28, 2010 $3,780.51
The Seelbach Hilton Hotel Judicial Cabinet Judicial Department Travel Exp. & Exp. Allowances In-State Travel Jun 14, 2007 $27,261.38
Grand Hyatt San Antonio Justice & Public Safety Cabinet Justice - Office Of The Secretary Travel Exp. & Exp. Allowances Out-Of-State Travel Jan 28, 2011 $5,940.24
HYATT REGENCY AT LEXINGTON CTR Health & Family Services Cabinet Behavioral Health, Developmental & Intellectual Disabilities Travel Exp. & Exp. Allowances In-State Travel Apr 25, 2008 $5,258.65
HYATT REGENCY AT LEXINGTON CTR Cabinet of the General Government Department Of Agriculture Miscellaneous Services Serv. N/Othwise Class-1099 Rept Jan 21, 2009 $18,729.06
HYATT REGENCY AT LEXINGTON CTR Environmental & Public Protection Cabinet Department for Environmental Protection Misc. Commodities & Other Exp. Other Mar 19, 2007 $10,125.81
HYATT REGENCY AT LEXINGTON CTR Health & Family Services Cabinet Department for Community Based Services Travel Exp. & Exp. Allowances In-State Travel Jul 30, 2007 $18,617.
HYATT REGENCY AT LEXINGTON CTR Judicial Cabinet Judicial Department Travel Exp. & Exp. Allowances In-State Travel Aug 31, 2009 $28,546.93
HYATT REGENCY AT LEXINGTON CTR Cabinet of the General Government Governor's Office Of Minority Empowerment Misc. Commodities & Other Exp. Promotional Entertainment Exp. Oct 13, 2006 $18,702.82
HYATT REGENCY AT LEXINGTON CTR Cabinet of the General Government Governor's Office Of Minority Empowerment Misc. Commodities & Other Exp. Promotional Entertainment Exp. Oct 28, 2008 $24,104.20
Now to be fair the Hotels listed above are the Hyatt and Hilton brands. The state also spent $99,554.25 with Days Inn and $2,772,318.58 at Holiday Inn’s. So they are spreading the money around.
Here are the questions:
What is being charged to the credit cards?
Does the state really need this much travel?
Why are we paying for non-state employees?
And I really want to hear the answer to this one.
What did the Governor’s Office of Minority Empowerment, a two person operation, get for over $40,000.00 of entertainment expenses paid to the Lexington Hyatt Regency and how did it benefit the tax payers of Kentucky?
Maybe Delquan Dorsey, the Executive Director, can tell us.
From fiscal year 2007 to the present the Commonwealth of Kentucky paid American Express $55,184,597.70 in charges made by various cabinets. Most of the charges were for travel both in state and out of state.
In addition to the over $55 million to American Express the Department for Community Based Services charged $838,476.30 to the Diners Club for travel.
These charges did not include all of the per diem of employees, nor did it include all of the hotel charges. Charges to the hotels include charges for non-state employees, miscellaneous commodities & other expenses, Promotional Entertainment Expenses, and miscellaneous services Not Otherwise Classified.
Below are just a few of the hotel charges.
HILTON ALEXANDRIA MARK CENTER, Education & Workforce Development Cabinet, Department Of Education, Travel Exp. & Exp. Allowances Travel For Non-State Employees Dec 01, 2006 $3,206.40
HILTON BURLINGTON Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Resources Travel Exp. & Exp. Allowances Out-Of-State Travel Aug 28, 2007 $1,935.84
Hilton Cincinnati Netherlands Plaza Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Resources Travel Exp. & Exp. Allowances Out-Of-State Travel Jan 14, 2010 $1,420.96
HILTON GARDEN INN Judicial Cabinet Judicial Department Travel Exp. & Exp. Allowances In-State Travel Jan 03, 2008 $11,234.47
HILTON GARDEN INN Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet Kentucky State Fair Board Travel Exp. & Exp. Allowances In-State Travel Jan 04, 2010 $3,652.28
Hilton Garden Inn - Kalispell Environmental & Public Protection Cabinet Department For Environmental Protection Travel Exp. & Exp. Allowances Out-Of-State Travel Jan 04, 2008 $2,187.08
HILTON GARDEN INN TAMPA Health & Family Services Cabinet Department for Community Based Services Travel Exp. & Exp. Allowances Out-Of-State Travel Sep 27, 2007 $1,995.84
HILTON GREATER CINCINNATI AIRP Education & Workforce Development Cabinet Department for Libraries & Archives Travel Exp. & Exp. Allowances In-State Travel Aug 07, 2007 $1,923.81
HILTON GREATER CINCINNATI AIRP Cabinet of the General Government Agricultural Development Board Travel Exp. & Exp. Allowances In-State Travel Aug 20, 2007 $5,848.01
HILTON ORLANDO BONNET CREEK Cabinet for Universities Council On Postsecondary Education Travel Exp. & Exp. Allowances Out-Of-State Travel Jan 06, 2011 $5,878.15
HILTON ST LOUIS @ THE BALLPARK Justice & Public Safety Cabinet Department For Public Advocacy Travel Exp. & Exp. Allowances Travel For Non-State Employees Aug 17, 2007 $3,509.70
HILTON SUITES LEXINGTON GREEN Cabinet of the General Government Department Of Military Affairs Travel Exp. & Exp. Allowances Travel For Non-State Employees Jul 28, 2010 $3,780.51
The Seelbach Hilton Hotel Judicial Cabinet Judicial Department Travel Exp. & Exp. Allowances In-State Travel Jun 14, 2007 $27,261.38
Grand Hyatt San Antonio Justice & Public Safety Cabinet Justice - Office Of The Secretary Travel Exp. & Exp. Allowances Out-Of-State Travel Jan 28, 2011 $5,940.24
HYATT REGENCY AT LEXINGTON CTR Health & Family Services Cabinet Behavioral Health, Developmental & Intellectual Disabilities Travel Exp. & Exp. Allowances In-State Travel Apr 25, 2008 $5,258.65
HYATT REGENCY AT LEXINGTON CTR Cabinet of the General Government Department Of Agriculture Miscellaneous Services Serv. N/Othwise Class-1099 Rept Jan 21, 2009 $18,729.06
HYATT REGENCY AT LEXINGTON CTR Environmental & Public Protection Cabinet Department for Environmental Protection Misc. Commodities & Other Exp. Other Mar 19, 2007 $10,125.81
HYATT REGENCY AT LEXINGTON CTR Health & Family Services Cabinet Department for Community Based Services Travel Exp. & Exp. Allowances In-State Travel Jul 30, 2007 $18,617.
HYATT REGENCY AT LEXINGTON CTR Judicial Cabinet Judicial Department Travel Exp. & Exp. Allowances In-State Travel Aug 31, 2009 $28,546.93
HYATT REGENCY AT LEXINGTON CTR Cabinet of the General Government Governor's Office Of Minority Empowerment Misc. Commodities & Other Exp. Promotional Entertainment Exp. Oct 13, 2006 $18,702.82
HYATT REGENCY AT LEXINGTON CTR Cabinet of the General Government Governor's Office Of Minority Empowerment Misc. Commodities & Other Exp. Promotional Entertainment Exp. Oct 28, 2008 $24,104.20
Now to be fair the Hotels listed above are the Hyatt and Hilton brands. The state also spent $99,554.25 with Days Inn and $2,772,318.58 at Holiday Inn’s. So they are spreading the money around.
Here are the questions:
What is being charged to the credit cards?
Does the state really need this much travel?
Why are we paying for non-state employees?
And I really want to hear the answer to this one.
What did the Governor’s Office of Minority Empowerment, a two person operation, get for over $40,000.00 of entertainment expenses paid to the Lexington Hyatt Regency and how did it benefit the tax payers of Kentucky?
Maybe Delquan Dorsey, the Executive Director, can tell us.
