The taxpayers pay his salary...so, in point of fact, they are paying for his trip. That is unless someone else is picking up the tab.
Plus, politicians lie. Outrageous junkets like these are being funded by some outside resource. Maybe through a donation to his personal campaign, rather than directly funding his official business. Either way, he (and thus the city) will be beholden to that entity in some way... there WILL be quid pro quo eventually. There's no such thing as free. And no such thing as a politician doing things like this on their own dime. All of them do it, all levels, all parties... but what this other poster alleges to have been said, no doubt it was said extremely carefully with boilerplate language, but assuredly was a lie. Like everyone else, those believing it choose to believe for ideological reasons....or simply they are hopelessly naive or mentally deficient.
The thing is, the value of all theses things are zero point zero to the city and their residents... strictly a ego driven ideological indulgence. The Dali Lama? What a freaking waste, unless you wanted to learn how to improve your golf drive, or so Hollywood has taught us.
So this guy had some company or special interest fund his personal ego trip, useful to the residents for nothing ... and the city will be obligated in some way to do a favor for the 'benefactor' in return ... likely also for some wasteful venture or product that gives no benefit to the residents.
All politicians do this, it's not just him, but the ones that have zero competition, like Dems in Pgh, or maybe Repubs in Texas or such, are more apt to abuse it. And do.
