Do they make Pizza with caviar and truffles?

[Ten Packs]

Friday's Vancouver Province reports that Immigration Minister Joe Volpe turned in an expense account with two different Pizza dinners. The first was Pizza for two, the next was Pizza for three.

The tabs? $138 and $207, respectively.


WTF???

 

[Nascar_James]

How in blue blazes can a pizza dinner go over 100 bucks??? How???

For an immigration minister, he surely isn't clever enough to figure out he's been taken for a ride by the restaurant.

Ahhh, but he doesn't need to worry. After all, the taxpayers will gladly foot the bill.

Not even a combined lobster/steak filet dinner with good wine comes to that much.

 

[Ten Packs]

HE is not being "taken for a ride" - WE ARE! That's our God-damned tax money! Politicians are Bastards, every last one of them...

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: Do they make Pizza wi

So that's about $70.00 per person. I'm guessing this isn't Pizza Hut, but $70.00 per person isn't unheard of, or even terribly high, in a lot of restaurants. For an executive in private enterprise, or even a salesperson working on a big sale, this wouldn't raise an eyebrow.

If you are going to yell and scream about Volpe, you'd better yell and scream about private enterprise too, because the costs get passed on to you there as well.

The question shouldn't be how much he paid, it should be if he was within government guidelines. If he was within guidelines and those guidelines are set too high, or if there are no guidelines, then that should be the issue.

Digging through expense accounts looking for dirt, then going after individual ministers stinks of more scandal-mongering by the Conservatives. If they want to address a larger issue by doing so, that's one thing. If they are just trying to score cheap political points, that's another.

I don't think I need to remind you that we also paid for the people who did the digging. I don't think that we should be paying public employees to perform cheap electioneering tricks.

 

[Ten Packs]

Of Fer Kryssake, Rev - I give up on you. I've never seen a guy more more excuse for government waste in my life.
You should run for office.

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: Do they make Pizza wi

No excuses at all, Ten Packs, just an aversion to using things like this to hang a cabinet minister the Conservatives feel is vulnerable instead of addressing the root of the problem. This squawking and finger-pointing does no good.

If you want to get rid of government waste, it isn't by scandal-mongering in the press without releasing all of the facts or even mentioning that there is a larger issue. You know as well as I do that the Conservatives would spend the same kind of money doing the same kind of things.

Anybody who doesn't think the Conservatives would be any different is forgetting that Manning did move into the official opposition residence and Harper resides there right now.

 

[Nascar_James]

70 bucks per person for pizza? Rev, I don't know what restaurant charges 70 bucks for pizza, but I have a news flash ... you can get a good steak and/or lobster dinner for less than 70 bucks.

 

[manda]

I believe that the fault lies with those who charged that much at the resteraunt. I figure that if I was to go in there, I would buy an expensive dinner, but not quite so expensive...they probably jacked the prices up due to the fact that the government was picking up the tab.

However, I went to lunch at the CN tower before with my brother, and it nearly cost us 100 dollars...

 

[Ten Packs]

I don't think ANYONE charged that much, my guess is that it went for expensive French wine, or if receipts aren't required, somebody's pocket.

 

[Nascar_James]

Expensive French wine ... with pizza? Looks like the Canadian Immigration Minister needs to re-evaluate his priorities. Yep. re-eveluate them for a psychiatric anaylsis.

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: Do they make Pizza wi

James, we aren't talking about Pizza Hut, and I doubt anybody ordered pizza. Futhermore, if you actually went to some of the nicer restaurants, you'd find that $70.00 a person isn't that hard to hit. You should take your wife out to one some time. If she has to put up with you, she's likely earned it. ;-)

Manda and Ten Packs:

Steak...$40.00
Appetizers...$10.00
Beer...$15.00
dessert...$5.00
tip...$10.50
-----------------------

Total ...80.50


I'm pretty sure that Liberal cabinet ministers go to fancier places than I do, but I know I've spent $40.00 for a steak right here in Winnipeg.

I know I ordered a $50.00 steak at a place in Toronto, but it was on my boss' expense account. I also drank a lot more than $15.00 in beer that night.

Should it cost that much? No. It does though.

If you don't want the government to spend that much, then get somebody to address the policy. Right now you're just like me mumbling under my breath about my wife picking a restaurant where a steak cost $40.00 (or me giggling about my boss picking one where a steak cost $50.00)...it won't change anything.

The next time Mrs. Rev says she wants to go to that same restaurant, I'll go (she's likely earned it). The next time Volpe wants to go to the restaurant you guys are complaining about, he'll go (he likely hasn't earned it). If you want to make a change, you don't make it by complaining about the specifics, you make it by setting a limit.

 

[#juan]

I always have a bottle of COURVOISIER - VSOP with my pizza. (about $80.00 a bottle) :wink:

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: Do they make Pizza wi

I think I likely drank about $80.00 worth of beer the night I had the $50.00 steak too. The next time you get film developed, keep in mind that you paid for that.

 

[Nascar_James]

Well Rev, the initial post did note the expense account was for pizza.

Yep. I have been to some of the nicer restaurants, some where jacket and tie were required. The Compass restaurant, the Hilton ..etc) just to name a few and yes a good steak dinner can set you back even 200 bucks per person.

I just don't picture anyone ordering pizza (that's if he really had pizza) at an upper class restaurant. I'd wonder if it were even on the menu.

 

[Andygal]

RE: Do they make Pizza wi

I'd imagine you could get pizza at a good Italian resturant, if not a fancy North American style resturant. And it might set you back a fair chunk at the best resturants, not sure about 70 dollars though.

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: Do they make Pizza wi

It doesn't have to be pizza though. The bill has the number of diners on it. The restaurant is a well-known upscale restaurant known for its pizza.

So what if it is pizza though. That's not the point. You're so hung up on what they might have eaten and what it cost. Who the hell cares? The fact is that bitching because Volpe spent too much on supper is stupid. What Volpe spent doesn't matter, why he spent it does.

He spent that much because that's what's considered acceptable. Either the guidlines are too high, or there are no guidelines. Bitching about this specific bill won't change that and if we were stupid enough to elect the Harperites because of this specific bill, they'd be bringing home the same receipts from the same restaurant.

If you want to change things, then change the rules. That won't be accomplished by supporting either of the corporate-backed parties because that isn't an unreasonable dinner bill for guys who move in those circles.

 

[Ocean Breeze]

How in blue blazes can a pizza dinner go over 100 bucks??? How???

Pizza "dinner" would include the booze??? right?? The meal/menuu prices are one thing......but it is the booze prices that determine the total cost. If this was at a proper Italian restaurant with all the appropriate wines/spirits /liquers etc ......it would make those numbers .... Not impossible. If it is a well known ( a name) restaurant.......add more to the bill for the "name"...etc.

Don't think these politicians are prone to do take out ;-)