Local university spends $1.1 million in tax dollars on employee morale (Atlanta: golf, entertainment) - Georgia (GA) - City-Data Forum

arjay57 · 05-01-2018, 07:27 AM

Dang. Seems like tax dollars should go to public purposes, not private parties.

Quote:

In the name of morale boosting, the Georgia Tech Research Institute spent nearly $1.1 million in tax dollars over the past two years on entertainment and meals for employees and their families, a Channel 2 Action News investigation found.

The spending included $73,000 for employees and their families to go to the Georgia Aquarium, $109,000 for a staff picnic at Six Flags over Georgia, $26,000 at a Braves game, nearly $12,000 racing go-karts and playing laser tag at Andretti’s in Roswell and $7,300 at Topgolf, including more than $1,000 in cocktails, beer and wine.

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The institute is headed by Dr. Andrew Gerber, a missile defense expert earning $400,000 a year. Under Gerber’s leadership, the institute has spent about a half-million dollars a year to boost employee morale.

More....Ga. Tech research arm spent $1.1 million in tax dollars on staff ‘morale’

stoxdiamond · 05-01-2018, 07:42 AM

Article says that the GT Research Institute employs more than 2,000 researchers and scientists. $1.1 million over the past two years is $275 per person per year. If every employee is able to take advantage of these perks it doesn't sound too bad. If these events are only for the few upper level employees then it probably should be looked at.

Iconographer · 05-01-2018, 07:51 AM

Poor Dr. Gerber looked like a deer in headlights when Richard Belcher confronted him. He was so flustered that when the elevator door opened, he walked over to the closed elevator doors next to it instead of getting in.
I agree with stox that the matter needs to be looked at more carefully. By the accounts that I have read, Gerber has a sterling reputation, and the breaking story had a rather sensational feel to it and had none of the kind of breakdown that stox suggested it should.