by Alan McBride
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Three central Florida members of the state's Congressional delegation have signed their names to a letter sent this week to the U.S. General Accounting Office, demanding an accounting for a supposed "no meetings" list for official federal conventions or other business.
There is no evidence that such a list exists, and federal agencies have not said there is one, but U.S. representatives Suzanne Kosmas, Alan Grayson, and John Mica are the Floridians who signed a letter calling for an investigation.
The supposed list includes tourist draws of Orlando and Las Vegas, where officials could use tax dollars to finance a convention that might also be perceived as a vacation.
The U.S. Travel Association first raised the allegations of such a purported "blacklist."
This appears to have been born from the furor raised last winter when it was learned that many businesses receiving federal bail out money were also sending their executives on lavish retreats, using money from the TARP program to finance them.
Whether the list is real or just another urban legend remains uncertain at this time.
The White House said it would oppose such a no meetings list.
© 2010