New Outfits From Nordstrom? Of course!

You know about the room service, booze, steak, seafood and other nice meals personally enjoyed by Tour of Missouri organizers with taxpayer-subsidized accounts.  But did you also know that taxpayers also helped buy Nordstrom dresses and shoes for the imported Podium Ladies? 

Newly obtained documents from a Sunshine request submitted a few weeks ago show that taxpayer-funded accounts were used to pick up a $222 tab at Nordstrom.com.  Publicly-supported accounts were also also used to purchase two new pairs of shoes for the Ladies for $180. 

Add in a few nights at the Hilton, food and travel, and the decision to spend a few thousand dollars for women from Georgia to kiss winners is even harder to understand.

As far as I know, Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder and Tour officials have still not explained how their free-spending ways with public money is crucial to the economic benefits they tout so highly.  If taxpayers continue to be asked to help foot the bill, a little accountability is not too much to ask.

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On another note -- Tour of Missouri, Inc. spent $134,000 at a St. Louis Hilton Louis in September for lodging and team meals.  Is it odd that organizers chose to spend $134,000 at one of their Gold Sponsors' top competitors?  There are four Drury Hotels in downtown St. Louis.