Mickey Mouse Junket Earns Fleece

WASHINGTON — Sen. William Proxmire (D-Wis.) awarded his Golden Fleece to the Urban Mass Transit Administration for sending government officials to Disney World to learn how to motivate employees, his office said Sunday.

Attending the Sept. 6-9 session in Orlando, Fla., were six top UMTA officials and 47 local transit officials from around the country. They paid their own travel expenses, but UMTA paid for the $110-per-night hotel rooms and the $795 program fee for each, at a total cost of $68,160.

“This is an idea Dopey would have loved, but it’s likely to make taxpayers feel like Grumpy,” the senator said.

UMTA spokesman James Bynum said that the trip served two purposes: to allow officials to learn how Disney World officials motivate their workers and to examine the amusement park’s huge transportation system. Both would provide helpful lessons for agencies trying to boost ridership, he said.