An analysis of California lawmakers’ 2008 spending reports has come up with some  deeply disturbing information. Turns out that even if an election isn’t hard fought, the lawmakers’ campaign spending doesn’t slow down.

Au contraire, it speeds up the lavish spending, with lavish fundraisers at Las Vegas casinos, overnight stays at luxurious hotels and resorts, daily meals in expensive restaurants, and so on.

State Sen. Abel Maldonado, Republican from Santa Maria, blew $1.4 million of campaign funds even without a primary challenge and only a token independent general election opponent. Maldonado won by a landslide. His expenses include $28,000 on meals and hotel stays and $34,000 in fuel bills for a private plane.

Contra Costa Times report adds that Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, who is the Majority Whip and Democrat from California’s 12th District (San Francisco/San Mateo), went one step further and enjoyed trips to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby, to Tokyo and Hiroshima in Japan, and to China, Washington D.C., Las Vegas and Reno, New Orleans, Denver and Seattle. All in 2008, and all paid for by campaign funds.

If it was official business, the state should have picked up the tab. If it was not official business, she should have paid for it herself. There’s simply no way to justify spending local CA election campaign funds on trips outside California, unless it’s to raise funds.  Perhaps she was raising campaign funds at the Kentucky Derby by betting on the horses?

Moving to some more genuine travel spending, it’s almost time to Discover Great American Traditions with the 26th annual National Travel and Tourism Week (May 9-17, 2009). Here’s a summary of last year’s splendid effort. It’s pretty much the same deal every year. If you still have any questions, contact USTA Travel Manager Greg Staley at 202-408-2128.

If you’re interested in Las Vegas vacations, here’s a great deal - an all-inclusive offer from Luxor (h/t LA Times Deal Blog). Listed below are the freebies you get along with your hotel reservation:-

• All You Can Eat, All Day, Every Day at MORE, the Buffet*
(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Sunday Champagne Brunch included)
• Two tickets to CRISS ANGEL Believe™ (Tuesday through Saturday evenings-balcony level seats)*
• Two tickets to Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition*
• Two tickets to Bodies…The Exhibition*
• Two Nurture Spa Day Passes*
• Two VIP admissions to LAX (Wednesday through Saturday evenings)*
• Two VIP admissions to CatHouse (Club closed on Tuesday evenings)*
• Room check-in at VIP Lounge

Based on double occupancy, minimum 2 night stay required, and promotion runs from March 30-Dec 28, 2009. You have to book before April 9, 2009. One thing you gotta admit - Even if Vegas is going bankrupt, they’re doing it in style.

And since we’re on the subject, here’s something that just hit my inbox. Vegas.com has implemented a fully integrated travel shopping cart where consumers can move seamlessly through thousands of pages of Vegas travel choices, add items and check out with a single transaction. In terms of mathematical possibilities, it gives visitors a selection of 207 billion possible combinations of Vegas tourism offerings.

The new shopping experience allows customers to choose from hundreds of airlines and all Las Vegas hotels to assemble a package with a single price and with special savings into the single shopping cart. Air information is provided through direct partnerships and via Travelport’s Worldspan GDS (global distribution system). 

In a press statement, Rossi Ralenkotter, President and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said that “It’s great to see innovation created in Southern Nevada that benefits both Las Vegas visitors and our hospitality and tourism industries.”

Posted on March 30th, 2009 by PLing
Filed under: Travel News