School Officials Don’t Eat Cafeteria Food

As we all know, whenever an official is accused of spending too much public money on something, the official returns fire with something about how the $50,000 he or she spent on giant marionettes was actually a very important public service. Such i the case with James Nevels, head of the Philadelphia School Reform Commission, who has spent over $15 grand on the SRC credit card on meals since 2004.

In this case, Nevels couldn’t be reached for comment, but his associates told lies for him anyway.

“All of these expenses have been audited by [City Controller] Alan Butkovitz,” Carey Dearnley, the commission’s spokeswoman, said yesterday.

“Yes, Alan Butkovitz got all of it, pored through it, and tried to find something out of line, and didn’t. He didn’t disapprove,” concurred commission Chief of Staff Frank Siefert.

Reached at home last night, Butkovitz said that although he has asked, he has not been provided with any commission members’ credit-card statements.

On the plus side, we can be happy he’s not slumming it at Perkins or anything.

“Those aren’t people who do business at IHOP,” Dearnley said. “This is where business is done in this city.”

I know. Morning Glory for breakfast, baby!

Nevels’ wining & dining: 15G+ [Daily News]