LAS VEGAS -- The I-Team has been looking through thousands of pages of expense reports for some of the most powerful agencies in Nevada to see how tax dollars are spent.
The Nevada Gaming Commission is an important group that decides the fate of every casino in the state. Nearly every month, commission members fly to Northern Nevada for meetings even though there is an essentially free video-conferencing system.
"Extremely expensive. It's an extremely expensive way to spend taxpayers' dollars," said Assemblyman William Horne, (D) Las Vegas. He is likely to be the lawmaker deciding the fate of the commission budget and he didn't like what the I-Team found.
"If there is wanton waste going on there, it'll certainly be addressed," he said.
Time after time it was $300 flights and $100 car rentals to go from Las Vegas to Reno, then down to the capitol and back again. Just for a couple hours of work. But there's another way that's pretty much free.
Check out expense reports from Gaming Control
"I'd be surprised if they are doing this for every meeting and that would raise serious concerns if they aren't utilizing our video-conferencing," said Horne.
But that's exactly what's happening in nearly every case. Lawmakers use a video-conferencing system so people don't have to fly up north. The commission doesn't use their system as much, according to Chairman Peter Bernhard.
Jonathan Humbert: "But it seems to work pretty well for the legislature."
Peter Bernhard: "It does and frankly the legislature's equipment is of a higher quality."
So, instead of budgeting for a new system, Bernhard and others fly up and down the state, hundreds of dollars at a time. He says the short trips help save money.
"Without incurring any hotel or lodging expense," adds Bernhard.
Another trip caught the I-Team's eye though. Bernhard went to Italy for an international gaming conference in 2008 and stayed at the Rome Cavalieri, a Waldorf-Astoria brand hotel.
"The gaming industry no longer is one which is isolated to Nevada for better or for worse. So we have to be aware of what's going on in other jurisdictions," Bernhard said.
Looking at his bill, with conversion rates, that 8 Euro bottle of coca cola cost $12 dollars and the 9 Euro Minute Maid juice actually was $13.50. While he paid for his own airfare, taxpayers paid 297 Euro for Bernhard's room which is about $447 a night in American dollars.
"I don't quarrel that it's a lot of money but it also is what was within our budget with what we were allowed to do."
Horne says it isn't the best use of money. "Uh, no. It's not." He wants more paperwork proving high prices are necessary. "Short of any documentation saying that Rome was sold out," he added.
Bernhard points out that the commission routinely returns a good chunk of their budget to the general fund, because they don't spend it all. He was very forthcoming with all our questions. But Horne, like many, may take another look at the budget this time around and say the commission should use the video-conferencing system more.
