Over $1 Million In Taxpayer Funds Spent On Drinks, Laser Tag, and Go-karts

Georgia Tech Research Institute, which is the research arm of the Georgia Institute of Technology, has recently made headlines after it was caught spending more than $1 million in taxpayer funds on a variety of recreational activities that were allegedly supposed to be aimed at boosting morale for employees and their families.

The research institute mostly focuses on work for defense agencies in the U.S. and according to a Channel 2 Action News investigation, it was recently uncovered that over the last 2 years they've spent over $1.1 million on entertainment and meals.

Some of the uncovered purchases include:

- $73k for an aquarium visit

- $109k for a Six Flags picnic

- $26k for a baseball game

- $12k on laser tag and go-karts

- $7.3k on golf

- $1k on alcoholic drinks

Since the news about those purchases has come to light, Georgia Tech allegedly sought to initially defend the practice and use for the money.

They also suggested that the spending had been approved by the director of ethics with the research institute.

However, since that time, they've started singing a slightly different tune and they've issued a statement suggesting that they have planned a review of any future spending on such morale-boosting events.

Supposedly, any future spending is going to be subject to multi-level review.

According to one government watchdog, who is with Citizens Against Government Waste, Leslie Paige, she suggests that if this information would have been made transparent and posted online that it would greatly discourage this sort of behavior.

If such an organization that receives taxpayer funding doesn't think the public will find out about their spending habits, that could be fueling their unjust spending habits. If they think the spending is secret, then that might explain why they don't seem to have an issue with it and find it justified.

They receive hundreds of millions in government funding...

and that's all thanks to taxpayers.

It certainly isn't likely to be pleasing for those taxpayers, who are forking over the money every year, to learn that their funds are going toward go-karts, laser-tag, and drinking.

Pics:
Pixabay

Sources:
https://www.myajc.com/news/state--regional/tech-research-arm-spent-million-tax-dollars-staff-morale/zT8aEgGez9hZMtDGcXnrxJ/
https://www.wsbradio.com/news/state--regional/tech-research-arm-spent-million-tax-dollars-staff-morale/zT8aEgGez9hZMtDGcXnrxJ/

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