State Senator John Cauthorn, R-Mexico, this week awarded a Golden Goose Egg to the Department of Public Safety's director's office for hosting five consecutive annual "Community Mobilization and Partnership" conferences without an apparent thought given to soaring costs or bottom-dwelling attendance numbers.

"I'm all about communicating and sharing information it's vital in what I do here in the Senate and has an important place in almost every other environment," Sen. Cauthorn said. "But holding down costs has an equally important role in state government especially in these tough budget times."

For the 2000, 2001 and 2002 fiscal years, the annual conferences featured an average attendance of far less than 300 people. Just under 350 people went to the 2001 conference, at a cost to taxpayers in fliers, snacks and beverages of well over $200 per person. The Department also paid $9850 for1000 "padfolio's" essentially a fancy writing tablet - for the 2001 conference. The questions arises as to where the other 650 "padfolio's" disappeared to if they were intended as handouts.

"Ten bucks for a legal pad, that sounds about right, doesn't it?" Cauthorn said. "And this on top of cookies and brownies, too."

Evaluated in depth by the state auditor, the Community Mobilization and Partnership conferences are designed to promote community involvement and build positive working relationships between citizens and law enforcement officials.

"The concept for these conferences make sense everyone's for strengthening communities and lowering crime," Cauthorn said. "But there has to be a better, less expensive, way to broadcast this information out to people. The Department of Public Safety does a fine job overseeing the protection of our physical safety. This is just a case where the protection of our fiscal safety needs some work."

Chairman of the Senate's Governmental Accountability and Fiscal Oversight Committee, Cauthorn began awarding Goose Eggs earlier this year in a program patterned similar to one once used by a U.S. Senator to highlight particularly galling instances of governmental mismanagement. The transportation and conservation departments, along with the state's administration office, are among recent "awardees."

"I suppose it's no secret that something like this will probably never be short on nominees," Cauthorn quipped. "But I'm not out to humiliate anyone, I'm interested in spotlighting areas in state government that could obviously stand substantial corrective action, and if it takes an egg, it'll get an egg."