"Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate"[Abandon all hope, ye who enter here]
- Dante’s Inferno
The battle of the budget is underway, made all the more intense by upcoming Presidential & Congressional Elections.
The battle of the budget is underway, made all the more intense by upcoming Presidential & Congressional Elections.
As usual, everyone is throwing around “scare figures” to protect turf, power, and special interests. Even President Obama is making sweeping assumptions about how Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget would, “if equally distributed” close parks, end student loans, and harm veterans.
The budget debate, played-out in endless the campaign debates, surround what programs should be saved or cut. Republicans always get tongue-tied on this topic. They make bold sweeping statements about government waste and inefficiency and then someone asks them to be specific. This is usually followed by silence or mumbled assertions about abolishing the EPA.
The budget debate, played-out in endless the campaign debates, surround what programs should be saved or cut. Republicans always get tongue-tied on this topic. They make bold sweeping statements about government waste and inefficiency and then someone asks them to be specific. This is usually followed by silence or mumbled assertions about abolishing the EPA.
It is truly sad that, except for a few voices in this wilderness, no one takes the time to collect the facts that are already out there. The Government Accountability Office (GAO), and the 73 Inspector General offices embedded in Cabinet Departments and agencies, issue reports detailing waste fraud and abuse down to specific programs and accounts and with specific dollars attached. The Government Executive Magazine and watch dog groups regularly publish these findings. Why doesn’t anyone read this stuff?
One of my ongoing efforts at public awareness is to post some of the more salient items on my FACEBOOK page. Over just the last six months, the reports I posted totaled $487,687,000,000 of ANNUAL SAVINGS. This $487 billion in annual savings is just a sampling of the reports.
Congress and the White House have been at loggerheads since the summer of 2011 over how to cut less than this amount over TEN YEARS. Yet, fully documented by objective and government funded Inspector Generals and auditors, the path to cutting well over a half a trillion a year from the budget, without any negative impact on services, is there for anyone to see and use. The only requirement is a commitment to financial integrity, efficiency, and accountability.
Below are links from my FACEBOOK posts since October 2011.
GOVERNMENT-WIDE OPPORTUNITIES
· Government curbs improper payments -- but not enough http://www.govexec.com/oversight/2012/03/government-curbs-improper-payments-not-enough/41616/
· Baby steps for government bookkeeping http://www.govexec.com/oversight/2012/03/governments-bookkeeping-improving-only-slowly-panel-told/41355/
· Telework Takes Hold - Wired Workplace http://wiredworkplace.nextgov.com/2012/01/telework_takes_hold.php
· GOP senator's latest report on government waste pokes Congress http://www.govexec.com/oversight/2011/12/gop-senators-latest-report-on-government-waste-pokes-congress/35680/
· GAO coaches lawmakers on maximizing cross-agency performance http://www.govexec.com/oversight/2011/12/gao-coaches-lawmakers-on-maximizing-cross-agency-performance/35609/
· Expanded data transparency bill clears House panel http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20111103_6907.php?oref=rss%3Fzone%3DNGtoday
· Here is an effort to reduce the federal workforce by 10%, but this can be far more aggressive via targeting positions of retirees. At GSA we reduced the agency from 36,000 to under 20,000 (44%) in three years through a comprehensive attrition program. I reduced my CAO staff from 1,200 to 620 (48%) in one year via reorganization, abolishing functions, and outsourcing. Panel considers bill to shrink federal workforce through attrition http://www.govexec.com/pay-benefits/2011/11/panel-considers-bill-to-shrink-federal-workforce-through-attrition/35314/
· IG council honors star performers http://www.govexec.com/oversight/2011/10/ig-council-honors-star-performers/35187/
· FEATURES: Excellence in Government http://www.govexec.com/magazine/features/2011/10/excellence-in-government/35060/
· http://www.federaltimes.com/article/20110514/ADOP06/105140304/
Department of Defense· Senators go after waste in wartime contracting http://www.govexec.com/contracting/2012/03/senators-go-after-waste-wartime-contracting/41358/
· It is too bad BRAC is not being used to deal with our 900+ overseas bases. At least 400 of them are useless and expensive. Those overseas bases are generating non-American jobs - bring those jobs home! Administration to request new round of base closures http://www.govexec.com/defense/2012/01/administration-request-new-round-base-closures/40979/
· http://www.govexec.com/defense/2011/06/grassley-gives-failing-marks-to-pentagon-inspector-general/34115/
· http://public.cq.com/docs/weeklyreport/weeklyreport-000004022899.html
· http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/slash-federal-spending-gao-details-waste-inefficiency-duplication-again
Department of Energy· Energy Dept. offers prize to create mobile apps that already exist http://dailycaller.com/2012/04/05/energy-dept-offers-prize-to-create-mobile-apps-that-already-exist/
Department of Homeland Security· IG: Customs shelling out millions in workers’ comp http://www.govexec.com/pay-benefits/2012/04/ig-customs-shelling-out-millions-workers-comp/41745/
· Cannot believe that Homeland Security is going to throw away more taxpayer money on a failed "virtual border fence". Isn't $1 billion down the rat hole a sufficient learning experience?? DHS details contract for second try at Southwest virtual fence http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20111209_5650.php?oref=rss%3Fzone%3DNGtoday
· USCIS mismanaged immigration processing project, auditors report http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20111122_1400.php?oref=rss%3Fzone%3DNGtoday
· Auditors blast DHS' $1.5 billion border plan http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20111107_7253.php?oref=rss%3Fzone%3DNGpopular
· TSA mum on missing deadline for 100 percent cargo screening http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20111102_1709.php?oref=rss%3Fzone%3DNGtoday
· FEMA urged to increase accountability http://www.govexec.com/defense/2011/10/fema-urged-to-increase-accountability/35216/
Department of Justice
· GAO upends Justice's identity card project http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20120316_6484.php?oref=rss
· Baby steps for government bookkeeping http://www.govexec.com/oversight/2012/03/governments-bookkeeping-improving-only-slowly-panel-told/41355/
· Telework Takes Hold - Wired Workplace http://wiredworkplace.nextgov.com/2012/01/telework_takes_hold.php
· GOP senator's latest report on government waste pokes Congress http://www.govexec.com/oversight/2011/12/gop-senators-latest-report-on-government-waste-pokes-congress/35680/
· GAO coaches lawmakers on maximizing cross-agency performance http://www.govexec.com/oversight/2011/12/gao-coaches-lawmakers-on-maximizing-cross-agency-performance/35609/
· Expanded data transparency bill clears House panel http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20111103_6907.php?oref=rss%3Fzone%3DNGtoday
· Here is an effort to reduce the federal workforce by 10%, but this can be far more aggressive via targeting positions of retirees. At GSA we reduced the agency from 36,000 to under 20,000 (44%) in three years through a comprehensive attrition program. I reduced my CAO staff from 1,200 to 620 (48%) in one year via reorganization, abolishing functions, and outsourcing. Panel considers bill to shrink federal workforce through attrition http://www.govexec.com/pay-benefits/2011/11/panel-considers-bill-to-shrink-federal-workforce-through-attrition/35314/
· IG council honors star performers http://www.govexec.com/oversight/2011/10/ig-council-honors-star-performers/35187/
· FEATURES: Excellence in Government http://www.govexec.com/magazine/features/2011/10/excellence-in-government/35060/
· http://www.federaltimes.com/article/20110514/ADOP06/105140304/
Department of Defense· Senators go after waste in wartime contracting http://www.govexec.com/contracting/2012/03/senators-go-after-waste-wartime-contracting/41358/
· It is too bad BRAC is not being used to deal with our 900+ overseas bases. At least 400 of them are useless and expensive. Those overseas bases are generating non-American jobs - bring those jobs home! Administration to request new round of base closures http://www.govexec.com/defense/2012/01/administration-request-new-round-base-closures/40979/
· http://www.govexec.com/defense/2011/06/grassley-gives-failing-marks-to-pentagon-inspector-general/34115/
· http://public.cq.com/docs/weeklyreport/weeklyreport-000004022899.html
· http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/slash-federal-spending-gao-details-waste-inefficiency-duplication-again
Department of Energy· Energy Dept. offers prize to create mobile apps that already exist http://dailycaller.com/2012/04/05/energy-dept-offers-prize-to-create-mobile-apps-that-already-exist/
Department of Homeland Security· IG: Customs shelling out millions in workers’ comp http://www.govexec.com/pay-benefits/2012/04/ig-customs-shelling-out-millions-workers-comp/41745/
· Cannot believe that Homeland Security is going to throw away more taxpayer money on a failed "virtual border fence". Isn't $1 billion down the rat hole a sufficient learning experience?? DHS details contract for second try at Southwest virtual fence http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20111209_5650.php?oref=rss%3Fzone%3DNGtoday
· USCIS mismanaged immigration processing project, auditors report http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20111122_1400.php?oref=rss%3Fzone%3DNGtoday
· Auditors blast DHS' $1.5 billion border plan http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20111107_7253.php?oref=rss%3Fzone%3DNGpopular
· TSA mum on missing deadline for 100 percent cargo screening http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20111102_1709.php?oref=rss%3Fzone%3DNGtoday
· FEMA urged to increase accountability http://www.govexec.com/defense/2011/10/fema-urged-to-increase-accountability/35216/
Department of Justice
· GAO upends Justice's identity card project http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20120316_6484.php?oref=rss
Environmental Protection Agency· EPA plagued with poor budgetary and workforce organization, GAO reports http://www.govexec.com/oversight/2011/10/epa-plagued-with-poor-budgetary-and-workforce-organization-gao-reports/35156/
· www.gao.gov/new.items/d11347.pdf
General Services Administration· GSA employee rewards program now also under scrutiny http://www.govexec.com/oversight/2012/04/gsa-employee-rewards-program-now-also-under-scrutiny/41690/
· http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2871348/posts
· http://www.govexec.com/management/2012/04/lavish-conference-costs-top-gsa-officials-their-jobs/41651/
· www.gao.gov/new.items/d11347.pdf
General Services Administration· GSA employee rewards program now also under scrutiny http://www.govexec.com/oversight/2012/04/gsa-employee-rewards-program-now-also-under-scrutiny/41690/
· http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2871348/posts
· http://www.govexec.com/management/2012/04/lavish-conference-costs-top-gsa-officials-their-jobs/41651/
US Postal Service· Post Office aspires to provide private sector salaries without [private sector competence. Postal Service defends executive salaries as lawmaker looks to cap pay http://www.govexec.com/pay-benefits/2012/03/postal-service-defends-executive-salaries-lawmaker-looks-cap-pay/41442/
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