Projo Politics Blog

Governor Carcieri spent most of the last work week in California, attending a conference hosted by the Republican Governors Association.

In response to Political Scene inquiries Carcieri spokesman Jeff Neal said on Thursday: “The Governor’s flight, hotel and meal expenses are paid by the RGA.”

He said the governor and Mrs. Carcieri paid for Mrs. Carcieri’s expenses and the state paid airfare ($502.60) and one night of hotel expenses ($235) for Sgt. David Tikoian, the state police trooper assigned to the governor. Neal said the RGA paid for Tikoian’s additional hotel nights and meals during the Tuesday through Friday trip.

The agenda for the RGA’s annual meeting provides a flavor of the event:

In addition to a golf tournament, skeet and trap shooting at Camp Pendleton, a Mission San Juan Capistrano tour, dinner with California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and a “Late Night Party” at Seven Degrees in Laguna Beach, the agenda for the Nov. 28-30 conference, at the St. Regis Resort on Monarch Beach, included an “Inside the War Room” political update from party insiders and strategists, including RGA political director Paul Bennecke and Wes Anderson of OnMessage Inc.

For the record, the hosts of the Late Night Party included Barbour Griffith & Rogers, LLC, Blank Rome Government Relations LLC and Dutko Worldwide.

The governors were scheduled to get down to business on Friday, with a morning discussions on such topics as “sustainable economic development,” with a panel slated to include the president of the National Association of Home Builders, a principal in TPA Realty Services and the editor of “Site Selection.”

The governor and first lady were scheduled to fly back Friday afternoon.

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