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TORONTO - Officials with the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games billed Ontario taxpayers for everything from dress shirts and parking tickets to orange juice and wine before reimbursing them, documents released Friday reveal. C. J. Miles Jersey .The Toronto Pan Am committee released five years worth of expense claims and credit card reports — about 5,000 pages of documents — to all media after a newspaper filed a freedom of information request.TO2015 CEO Saad Rafi said the government had no say in the timing of the document dump on Friday, one day after the legislature recessed for two months.We of course work with the government on all these matters, said Rafi. In the past the expense claims for the organization garnered a lot of attention, so we wanted everybody to have that information at the same time.The expense reports, which often do not include the name of the executive making the claim, show Pan Am officials frequently charged taxpayers for their coffee, bottled water and snacks. Some also put cash advances on government credit cards, at very high interest rates.The inappropriate expenses, some going as far back as 2010, only turned up after the FOI request, and the reimbursements were made in recent weeks, said Rafi.I didnt know they existed, he said. When I saw those things, I said you know what, thats not going to stand.The Progressive Conservatives said the Liberal government has clearly not been able to change the culture of entitlement at the Pan Am organizing committee.If youre appointed to a committee by a Liberal, you can basically expense whatever you want, thats the message that I think the public is hearing now, said PC Pan Am critic Todd Smith. The scandalous spending is continuing even after the new regime has been put in place.The New Democrats said Premier Kathleen Wynne and the Liberals appeared to have learned nothing from a similar scandal involving inappropriate expenditures at eHealth Ontario, which forced then-health minister David Caplan to resign.Ontarians are footing the bill so Pan Am officials can go shopping at Harry Rosen, the LCBO or the Beer Store, said NDP Pan Am critic Paul Miller. For the Liberals, to wait until the day after the legislature rises makes a mockery of transparency and accountability. It’s just absurd and manipulative.Rafi, who took over the top spot last January, rejected Opposition claims that people working with the Pan Am committee have a huge sense of entitlement.I think what were doing here is trying to instill a sense of responsibility that this is predominantly a taxpayer funded games and people have that obligation to the taxpayer, he said. We are trying to continue with being open and transparent and make sure people follow the rules.Its not the first time expenses by the Pan Am executives have come under fire.Former CEO Ian Troop, who was paid $477,000 a year, was criticized after he billed taxpayers 91 cents for parking, $1.89 for a cup of tea and $8,561.19 for a Mexican hotel and cocktail party.The opposition parties also complained about a $7-million bonus package for TO2015 executives, including Troop, who would have been eligible for a $780,000 premium if hed stayed and the Games came in on budget.Ontario taxpayers already shelled out over a million dollars to fired Pan Am executives, including a years pay and $27,300 in retirement benefits for Troop, who also got $10,000 in outplacement payments, $3,500 in legal fees and medical benefits of $15,800.Former Pan Am vice-president of human resources, Elaine Roper, was paid $300,000 when she was let go, while Louise Lutgen got $271,000 after she was dismissed as the vice-president of cultural affairs.The Progressive Conservatives said the latest round of expenses showed the Pan Am committee spent $5,800 on tickets to the PGAs golf championship, and $8,200 on tickets to Toronto Argonauts CFL games.TO 2015 is probably the perfect example where this type of behaviour has continued over a four-year period and doesnt seem to be stopping any time soon, said Smith.The total budget for the Pan Am Games, which will be held in communities across southern Ontario next summer, is about $2.5 billion.Follow @CPnewsboy on Twitter Juwan Howard Jersey . He just didnt expect them to be this good. Darrun Hilliard scored 19 points to lead No. 6 Villanova to a dominating 77-59 victory over Georgetown on Saturday, preserving the Wildcats hopes of a No. Rick Mahorn Jersey . It was the quickest three-goal sequence in Olympic history, with the latter two coming just eight seconds apart. Kessel, Lamoureux and Kendall Coyne all scored twice for the Americans, and Molly Schaus made 10 saves in her Sochi debut.Pittsburgh, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Drew Brees threw five touchdown passes to five different receivers to stoke the New Orleans Saints 35-32 decision over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 13 action. Brees finished with 257 yards on 19-of-27 attempts for the Saints (5-7), who put a three-game losing streak to rest and are tied atop the NFC South with Atlanta. My process doesnt change regardless of whether people are singing my praises or telling me I cant play anymore. I really dont care, said a defiant Brees, addressing rumors from earlier in the week that the Saints are looking to draft his replacement. Mark Ingram racked up 122 yards on 23 carries, while Kenny Stills posted 162 yards and a score on five receptions. Marques Colston, Benjamin Watson, Nick Toon and Erik Lorig added a TD catch apiece. Ben Roethlisberger threw two late TD passes to Antonio Brown, ending up 32- of-58 for 435 yards with two interceptions for the Steelers (7-5), who had won four of their last five coming in. Just one of those days, a lot of balls were coming out high, said Roethlisberger. I had to make throws early on that I didnt make tonight and I usually do. LeVeon Bell led his club with 159 yards on eight receptions and had 95 yards with a score on 21 attempts, while Brown ended up posting 97 yards on eight grabs. Pittsburgh remains in a three-way tie with Baltimore and Cleveland for second place in the AFC North. Three plays into the hosts opening drive of the second half, Roethlisberger was picked off by Cameron Jordan, who returned the ball to the Steelers 15. Two snaps after that, Brees found Toon for an 11-yard score and 21-6 lead. Bell took it in from the one to cap Pittsburghs subsequent 83-yard drive with 4:21 remaining in the third, but the Steelers defense failed as Brees hit a wide-open Stills on the rright sideline for a 69-yard TD play. Harvey Grant Jersey. . Shaun Suisham hit from 47 yards away on the second snap of the fourth and the Steelers were within 28-16, yet the Saints moved 80 yards in nine plays and took a 35-16 edge on a 3-yard Brees-to-Colston connection. Roethlisbergers 53rd pass attempt of the afternoon fell into the hands of Brown with 2:34 to play and his successful conversion made it 35-24. The Saints went three-and-out, then a punt pinned the Steelers in the shadow of their own goal line. No matter, as the hosts moved 98 yards and Brown hauled in a 3-yard pass on the fifth play with no time left. The conversion pass was successful. Suisham bent a 49-yard attempt just inside the left upright to cap the Steelers second drive of the contest. He put another try through the goal posts inside the first minute of the second, this one from 31 yards away, after two potential TD passes were dropped on the previous two plays. The Saints took a 7-6 lead just before six minutes remained in the half as Brees found Watson for a 15-yard strike. Kenny Vaccaro then intercepted Roethlisberger in the end zone, and nine plays later Brees found Lorig for a 4-yard score and 14-6 contest. Suisham came up short on a 54-yard attempt on the final play of the half. Game Notes Brees recorded his ninth career game with at least five TD passes, equaling Peyton Manning for the most in NFL history ... Bell totaled 71 rushing yards in first quarter, while Roethlisberger had only 56 passing yards ... New Orleans won for the first time in Pittsburgh since a 20-16 decision at Three Rivers Stadium on Nov. 29, 1987 ... Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel left the game in the third quarter with a left triceps injury and did not return. ' ' '
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Activity: May 25 '20
