Missouri: Questionable Purchases says the National Taxpayers Union

The National Taxpayers Union found over $2.4 million in taxpayers' dollars spent for purposes they deemed questionable at the state level in a review of the Missouri Accountability Portal (MAP), launched by Gov. Matt Blunt (R) in 2007. Some of the purchases were made at bakeries, bra stores, coffee shops, beauty salons and picture framing galleries, they reported in this August 29, 2008 news release.

""Unfortunately, MAP only goes so far in telling you what was actually behind the expenditures," (Kristina) Rasmussen concluded. "Often, the spending record data will dead-end at 'professional services,' 'supplies,' or 'non-contract purchases.' While it's possible that some of these purchases are fairly innocuous, the name of the vendor alone gives reason for taxpayers to at least question the expense."

The National Taxpayers Union claims 362,000 members nation-wide. Of those members, the news release said, almost 7,300 of them are employed and live in Missouri.

Edit: I should have noted these questionable expenditures were made over an eight year period.