I never realized how profitable speechwriting could be until I heard about a current controversy regarding Will Sessoms spending $9,000 of taxpayer money to outsource the writing of one speech, the State of the City.

Really, $9,000 for one speech? To be fair, former Mayor Meyera Oberndorf  spent $8,210 on her last State of the City address, using the same firm Sessoms used. So this is really about government waste in general, and not some partisan attack on Sessoms.

But $9,000 for one speech?

What makes this worse is that there is a speechwriter on staff for the city who’s primary job is to write speeches for the mayor. This position does this to the tune of $60,000 a year. That’s the equivalent of 6.67 speeches a year at the rate being paid to Otto Design & Marketing, who worked on the speech.

By the way, Otto Design & Marketing is based on Norfolk. It’s too bad he couldn’t find someone in Virginia Beach to hand a check to. You’d think, as mayor, he’d have a vested interest in boosting the economy of our city, not Norfolk.

In a time where city employees have lost their cost of living increases, are facing increased healthcare costs, a reduction of hours, and other cost saving measures; the city spending $9,000 on one speech seems a bit disingenuous to me. While some are calling this a partisan attack on Sessoms, I think the people need to know what their money is being spent on, and I applaud the article.

Related posts:

1. Oberndorf and Sessoms make joint endorsement of Jody Wagner for Lt. Governor
2. Offshore Drilling Resolution Threatens Environment and Economy
3. Virginia Beach City Council ponders taxes, fees
4. Opposition to Obama’s speech to students indicates desperation among conservatives