The Social Security San Francisco regional office anticipated spending about $700,000 on the convention, which started mid-day Tuesday and wrapped up Thursday afternoon for approximately 675 attendees. It will not know the actual cost until it collects and pays vouchers submitted by employees.

Employees were required to pay their own expenses for entertainment, including a trip to a local casino.

It was the first time that the regional office held such a conference since 2001, and agency officials say the meeting was well worth the expense.

Leslie Walker, the Social Security Administration's regional communications director, said the agency was grappling with a wave of Baby Boomers who are becoming eligible for Social Security. At the convention, managers learned how to train employees on cost-saving measures such as encouraging the public to process documents via the Internet.

those poor, overworked, stressed-out government employees - getting paid with the sweat and blood of people doing actual work.