State officials defend cost of international trade missions

By Brad Shannon | The Olympian • Published May 04, 2008

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But trade-mission costs under Gregoire appear to be roughly twice per mission what former Gov. Gary Locke spent on his first seven missions, which totaled a little more than $205,000, according to a 2004 report by The Olympian based on data Locke's administration provided.

Heinemann, who has organized missions for four governors, said Locke and Gregoire stayed in the same hotels in some instances and took state employee delegations of roughly the same size — averaging 14 for Gregoire and 13.7 for Locke. They included staff members from the Department of Agriculture, the Community, Trade and Economic Development Department, and the State Patrol.

"I would guess we're doing a better job of gathering that information" on costs under Gregoire, Heinemann said.

He also said taxpayer-reimbursed costs were limited to what the federal government's per diem rate was for each country. Those limits are usually enforced, although a spot check of expense reports by The Olympian did show some high bills, including Gregoire's $410 hotel bill for each of three nights in Paris in 2005.

The federal recommended rate was $280 for Paris at the time, but Heinemann said the state got a late start on that June trip during Gregoire's first year, so an exception was made under state rules that allow up to 150 percent of the federal rate — or $420 in the case of Paris that year.

"The Paris air show takes up virtually all the hotel rooms in Paris. A lot of people book one year in advance," Heinemann said, adding that the state got rooms in the Westminster Hotel because they were available. "When you book later, you have to pay a premium."

Governors taking on roles overseas

Governors nationwide have been going on missions overseas since 1959, when North Carolina Gov. Luther Hodges went to Europe "to recruit foreign investment" — a move that later helped create Research Triangle, N.C., said Lucas McMillan, a University of South Carolina graduate student who is writing his doctoral thesis on the evolving role of governors in international trade.