PCO Clerk Kevin Lynch loves his java, or, at least the people in the Privy Council Office do. In fact, between March and December last year, the office charged $4,978.07 worth of coffee to the public purse, out of a total of $16,068.80 of hospitality expenses, according to PCO's hospitality expenses. That's of course only the lines that specifically say "coffee," coming from places such as Roast 'N Brew, Van Houtte and Connaisseur Café and not including the expenses for lunch meetings and DM breakfasts, such as the $498 tab from Boulangerie dans un village on April 13, 2006, which could have also included the wonderful and tasty caffeinated beverage. It must say something that almost one-third of a department's hospitality expenses is coffee, especially when one run to the local java hut cost $442.59. No, PCO is not frivolously overcharging taxpayers. HOH is sure it means that Mr. Lynch is working his staffers and DMs too much and that they are relying on many cups of espresso to get through the long nights of policy meetings... although it could mean also that the Roast 'N Brew is serving up some delicious organic non-fat skim-milk caramel mocchachino whipped-cream-topped latté of which the Clerk and his staffers just can't get enough. Hmm...

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