Fasano blasts Workforce chief

A local lawmaker is angry at a new report showing that the state's Workforce boards spent more than $600,000 on food and drink in a year and is calling for the president of the Tampa Bay Workforce Alliance to step aside.

Information gathered by the state shows that Florida's 24 regional Workforce boards spent a combined $617,420 of taxpayer dollars on food and beverages from November 2008 through October 2009. Almost $100,000 of those expenses came from the Tampa Bay group.

"It's an absolute outrage," said state Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, "spending taxpayer money so others can eat while being paid a very healthy salary at these Workforce boards."

The job agencies are funded with millions in federal dollars to train people and help the unemployed find work.

Florida's Agency for Workforce Innovation sent a survey to the two dozen regional Workforce boards to determine the extent of food and beverage purchases in each region after WFLA's 8 On Your Side investigation into spending by Tampa Bay Workforce Alliance. Expenses at the agency included $9-a-slice cheesecake.

"If the federal government recognizes that their money was improperly spent, they may be asking for their money back," Fasano said. "Who's going to pay their money? Taxpayers may be on the hook."

The survey released to state lawmakers shows the Tampa Bay Workforce Alliance was the hungriest in the state. It spent $99,222 on food and beverages.

"They spent well over the $20,000-plus they admitted to spending," said Fasano, who chairs the transportation and economic development appropriations committee, which oversees funding for the state's Workforce boards. "Now it's almost a hundred thousand dollars and someone has to be answerable for that."

"I want to know why they're spending $50 on cupcakes when they should be using the money to help train people to find a job," he said.

Fasano said it's time to replace Renee Gilmore, the president of the local Workforce alliance.

"I don't have a response to that," Gilmore said Wednesday. "I would certainly hope that I would continue to have the opportunity to serve the people of Florida and to serve this community."

Gilmore says her agency spent nearly $100,000 on food and beverages. She said most of the money was spent on food for activities that went on throughout the year, such as employer hiring events, workshops for the agency's scholars and planning meetings.

"Primarily a lot of that is attributed to hosting events that have to do with hiring and helping us to put people to work," she said.

"What the taxpayers got in return for the food and beverage expenditures has everything to do with connecting businesses with jobseekers," she said.

The survey of the Workforce boards showed other area groups spent far less than the Tampa Bay organization. The Workforce boards in Pinellas and Pasco spent about $13,000 each, the group serving DeSoto, Hardee and Highlands spent less than $3,000 and the Manatee, Sarasota Suncoast Workforce Board spent slightly more than $41,000.