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Summary City officials are handing out plates from a donated set to foreign dignitaries to save money.
City officials in Washington say they have been handing out plates from a donated set to foreign dignitaries to save money on commemorative souvenirs. The plates have the district seal on them and are part of a set of around 500 plates that were a gift from a Turkish citizen to Mayor Anthony Williams during his second term from 2002-2007.They had not been used for years and would save money if put to good use, mayoral spokeswoman Doxie McCoy said.The Washington Post said Saturday the re-gifting could actually cover some of the several thousand dollars the city spends on official gifts to high-level visitors at a time when budgets are tight.The appropriateness apparently passes manners muster because the plates have the city seal on them, according to Robert Frye, former protocol officer for AT&T and the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. You want the gift to reflect something special about the city or the state, Frye told the Post. Now, I wouldnt hand it over and say, We got these as a gift. I wouldnt advertise that.
