Waste of the Day: Throwback Thursday: AIDS Conference Offered Scenic Trips, Breakfast Buffets

Topline: An international AIDS conference does not seem like the proper venue for a luxurious vacation, but that didn’t stop world leaders from enjoying themselves in Vienna, Austria in 2010.

AIDS conferees lived it up while pretending to care for sufferers from the disease

The U.S. spent $465,000 on the conference, where wine tasting and over a week’s worth of sightseeing was on the itinerary. The money would be worth $672,000 today.

That’s according to the “Wastebook” reporting published by the late U.S. Senator Dr. Tom Coburn. For years, these reports shined a white-hot spotlight on federal frauds and taxpayer abuses.

Coburn, the legendary U.S. Senator from Oklahoma, earned the nickname “Dr. No” by stopping thousands of pork-barrel projects using the Senate rules. Projects that he couldn’t stop, Coburn included in his oversight reports.

Coburn’s Wastebook 2010 included 100 examples of outrageous spending worth more than $11.5 billion, including funding for the 18th International AIDS Conference.

Search all federal, state and local government salaries and vendor spending with the AI search bot, Benjamin, at OpenTheBooks.com.

Key facts: The AIDS conference was marketed as “the premier gathering for those working in the field of HIV,” where scientists could evaluate emerging medicines and share information.

It’s unclear, however, how the daily paid tours of Austria offered by the conference hosts contributed to AIDS research.

One “half-day excursion” led scientists on a boat ride and a “drive through the romantic valley Helenental.” Another paid trip offered wine samples from the 900-year-old Klosterneuburg Monastery Winery.

Eight different day trips were offered in total. Private coaches, English-speaking guides and buffet breakfasts were included in the price.

Free educational tours

The 2024 conference held in Munich, Germany offered free “educational” tours that were at least directly related to the AIDS crisis.

Critical quote: Speaking at the conference, former President Bill Clinton said, “In too many countries, too much money goes to pay for too many people to go to too many meetings, get on too many airplanes. Keep in mind that every dollar we waste today puts a life at risk.”

Summary: Scientific research is best conducted at a symposium or laboratory, not in a horse-drawn carriage.

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This article was originally published by RealClearInvestigations and made available via RealClearWire.