Susan Gravenhorst trying to defend her use of a $6,320 charter flight to attend a University of Illinois trustee reception in Springfield, when there are commercial flights or reimbursable private car travel, is just plain ludicrous (“U. of I. doles out perks; Tax dollars pay trustees’ airfare, meals, lodging,” Page 1, Jan. 19). Why doesn’t she just tell it like it is, that some citizens elected to non-paying jobs seem to feel that the luxurious travel, the expensive dinners and all of the other extra perks that they may receive, that would never be approved under proper scrutiny, are acceptable if they are not being otherwise paid?
Is there any way that we can bill these trustees for these excessive spending items? Where is the accountability? I’m sure that we can find some successful right-thinking people to serve as trustees who can live without these unreasonable perks.
