For the last 20 years government travel has been an issue that erupts in media on occasion. Typically there is a report of some abuse in the use of travel. Back in the early 90's there was a Washington State employee on their way back from Eastern Washington and as they crossed the mountain pass they stopped and did a little skiing. The car they were driving was a marked State of Washington vehicle. It was a dumb move, even if the event happened after normal work hours. The travel ban and examination of every travel request that followed made going anywhere very difficult.
When I was with King County there was what I called the "Palm Tree Rule." If the destination for the conference or meeting included sunshine and palm trees (especially in the winter) then you would not be permitted to attend. This included any event funded by other entities. I recall the Department of Homeland Security hosting a meeting in Hawaii. Sure enough I think it was 60 Minutes that had video of then Secretary Ridge sitting around a pool.
What brought this all to mind was the recent travel of the Seattle Parks Department Director. The sins he committed were two (2) people traveling to Australia to a conference with a registration fee of $3K. Those two items of information along with the fact that the Parks Department is in dire financial straits and employees took furlough days doesn't paint a picture of someone being in sync with the finances of the time.
The Parks Director's last day will be May 10th and now the Mayor of Seattle has come out with the requisite tightening of the travel rules. I'm sure there were rules before, but not for the department directors themselves.
Even local travel can be an issue. I always told my staff that when driving a government vehicle they must be on their best behavior. You must be courteous to other drivers and no "hand gestures" that indicate your contempt for other drivers, etc. Trust me--it has happened! Another rule was if you had to stop for a meal, or to use the bathroom--do not park in the parking lot of a bar/tavern. It sends the wrong message!
I'm a big believer in being able to travel and learn from other people and jurisdictions. When getting ready for the design of the $30M Regional Communications and Emergency Coordination Center (RCECC) for King County we took several trips to view a number of existing facilities. It was one of the best things we could have done to assess the "state-of-the-art" at the time and we gleaned many lessons learned from the experience. It could not have been done with phone calls and video conferencing.
I've learned to pick my battles reference travel. Choose one or two events that will add the most value to your program and try to attend those if you can.
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When I was with King County there was what I called the "Palm Tree Rule." If the destination for the conference or meeting included sunshine and palm trees (especially in the winter) then you would not be permitted to attend. This included any event funded by other entities. I recall the Department of Homeland Security hosting a meeting in Hawaii. Sure enough I think it was 60 Minutes that had video of then Secretary Ridge sitting around a pool.
What brought this all to mind was the recent travel of the Seattle Parks Department Director. The sins he committed were two (2) people traveling to Australia to a conference with a registration fee of $3K. Those two items of information along with the fact that the Parks Department is in dire financial straits and employees took furlough days doesn't paint a picture of someone being in sync with the finances of the time.
The Parks Director's last day will be May 10th and now the Mayor of Seattle has come out with the requisite tightening of the travel rules. I'm sure there were rules before, but not for the department directors themselves.
Even local travel can be an issue. I always told my staff that when driving a government vehicle they must be on their best behavior. You must be courteous to other drivers and no "hand gestures" that indicate your contempt for other drivers, etc. Trust me--it has happened! Another rule was if you had to stop for a meal, or to use the bathroom--do not park in the parking lot of a bar/tavern. It sends the wrong message!
I'm a big believer in being able to travel and learn from other people and jurisdictions. When getting ready for the design of the $30M Regional Communications and Emergency Coordination Center (RCECC) for King County we took several trips to view a number of existing facilities. It was one of the best things we could have done to assess the "state-of-the-art" at the time and we gleaned many lessons learned from the experience. It could not have been done with phone calls and video conferencing.
I've learned to pick my battles reference travel. Choose one or two events that will add the most value to your program and try to attend those if you can.
