If the documented expenses of one freshman senator are any indication, the nine senators attending President-elect George W. Bush's inaugural ceremony this weekend will spend about $27,000 altogether, courtesy of V.I. taxpayers.
Attending the inauguration are Senate President Almando "Rocky" Liburd and Sens. Alicia "Chucky" Hansen, liaison to the White House; Donald "Ducks" Cole, liaison to the U.S. Congress; Adelbert Bryan, Senate vice-president; committee chairpersons Vargrave Richards, Douglas Canton and Norma Samuel, and minority leader David Jones.
Sens. Lorraine Berry, Emmett Hansen II, Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg, Roosevelt David, Celestino White and Norman Jn Baptiste are not going. Delegate to Congress Donna Christian Christensen obtained tickets for all the senators, according to her aide Shawn-Michael Malone.
Liburd has stated that all travel expenses will come out of the individual senators' allotments: $100,000 for minority bloc senators and $200,000-plus for those in the majority.
A document acquired by the Source addressed to Liburd requests travel expenses for Samuel. It was submitted through the office of Alicia Hansen, and listed Samuel's expenses as:
$1,113.75 airfare
1,074.00 hotel
450.00 ground travel
350.00 meals
_________
$2,987.75 Total
Hansen's memo gave no reason for Samuel's travel to the inaugural ceremonies.
Legislative sources said the average salary for Senate staff is a good deal less than $27,000. Minority senators in particular have had to slash their office staff to stay within their allotments.
Also attending the festivities will be Gov. Charles W. Turnbull and several officers of the V.I. Republican Party.
Karl Callwood of the Senate's public affairs office said he could not supply precise figures at this time for the senators' allotments, committee budgets or the exact costs for attending the inauguration.
