Why can't I ever go to Hawaii...?

First off, the idea that the costs for air travel to Hawaii is similar to the costs of travel to Orlando or Vegas is ridiculous.

Secondly, there's no compelling reason to have a conference like this in Hawaii or Las Vegas. A centrally located conference - perhaps in St. Louis or Orlando - or several, smaller conferences in smaller, less expensive venues would provide the same training opportunities but wouldn't cost upwards of $3,000 per person. No one would blink if they were having a $600/person conference in St. Louis, with a $120 a night room and a $200 or so plane ticket.

I absolutely understand why there are needs for training conferences. I can't understand why the public-sector ones seem to have to be in Las Vegas, Hawaii, and Barbados while the ones I attend are in Orlando (for a Florida insurance conference), Chicago, or Columbus. Oh, that's right - the public-sector doesn't have a compelling interest in keeping the costs down like they do in the private sector.

Mich. taxpayers sending 80 officials off to Hawaii
Detroit Free Press

Nearly 80 officials across Michigan - more than twice the number of any other state - plan to fly off to Hawaii this month for a weeklong conference on public pension issues. And taxpayer-backed pension funds will pay the tab.

Leading the Michigan contingent are 13 officials from Detroit, making Detroit second only to Chicago, which planned to send 16 people, according to a list of registrants compiled by the event's sponsor and obtained by the Free Press.

Michigan communities investing in pension training at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort and Spa include:

* Monroe county planned to send nine people, the City of Monroe, five.

* Grand Rapids and Pontiac planned to send seven each.

* Oakland County planned to send five.

Among Detroit officers listed as attending are Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick; Fire Commissioner Tyrone Scott; Marty Bandemer, president of the Detroit Police Officers Association; the Rev. Wendell Anthony, and City Council members Monica Conyers and Alberta Tinsley-Talabi. All have roles in overseeing pension systems.