February 2, 2011; Source: MinnPost.com | Are you feeling like burnout may be coming on? Quick, grab that company credit card and get yourself some happy!

Richard E. Gauger, of the West Wisconsin Land Trust bought himself about $26,800 worth of happy and maybe some jail time when he started buying male enhancement products, essential oils ($1,000 worth!), supplements, and an all expense paid trip. When asked, Gauger said that the purchases were intended to combat the “burnout” that is common among nonprofit administrators and that he had made the products available to the staff (?????). 

All this was not easy to track down. After a change in leadership, Edith Kadlec, who with Gauger had complete oversight of the organization’s credit card, cleared her desk and left one day when alone in the office and somehow the credit card statements from 2007 through 2010 went with her. 

Gauger has returned $25,000 to the chair of the board and when the chair asked why he made the personal charges, he replied, “Because I could.”

Here is our suggestion . . . feel burnout coming on? If you can’t pay for your own male enhancements, get yourself down to the drug store and buy some Calgon, go to the gym and use the people around you for therapists, take a walk while crying quietly to yourself, but do not ever even for a moment think that access gives ownership.—Ruth McCambridge