RALEIGH - Gov. Mike Easley said he wishes trips overseas weren't so expensive, but that high travel bills are necessary if the state hopes to land big exhibits or recruit new business.
"It costs what it costs," Easley said. "I wish it didn't cost that much, but let's be honest about it. A cheeseburger and onion rings is $60 over there. The dollar is very, very weak now. That is why we were over there, to get those Euros coming to the U.S. for tourism."
Easley was asked about travel bills for trips he and his wife took to Italy and for trips his wife took to France and Russia and Estonia.
Easley said a News & Observer story about Mary Easley's trips to Europe was unfair because it made it seem as if all expenses — $109,000 for both trips — were incurred by her. The trip to Italy, designed to recruit business and attract tourists, cost more than $170,000.
Mary Easley's trip to Russia and Estonia was meant to try to build relationships with museum officials that could one day score a blockbuster exhibit, such as the 2006 and 2007 Monet exhibit that brought more than $20 million to the state.
"If we can get a show from The Hermitage, that would be worth a lot of money as well as the value for the people of North Carolina," Easley said.
Reporters pressed Easley on specific high-dollar bills such as a chauffeured Mercedes and fancy meals that included orders of leg of pheasant with homemade sausages and rabbit with black truffles and foie gras.
"I don't order cars. I really don't...I don't pick out the menus. I don't decide the venues," Easley said. "They asked me to come in the final leg of the trip in Italy to bring tourism to North Carolina."
The state departments that planned the two trips are run by people appointed by Easley.
"Our hotels are not full. Our restaurants are not full. People are hurting. It's a $16.5 billion industry," Easley said. "Europeans can come to North Carolina and vacation for half the price that they can vacation in Europe and we're going to get our fair share of that."