Waste Not, Want Not

This was an interestin' email to receive, but…why am I hearin' from an Oklahoma Senator and not from anyone in my own state?

"Senators Tom Coburn (R-OK), Jim DeMint (R-SC), John McCain (R-AZ), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), John Ensign (R-NV), and John Sununu (R-NH) announced at a press conference earlier today that they plan to produce a legislative proposal to find savings and called on the president to work with Congress to help those in need without passing the fiscal burden on to future generations…

"Significant savings can be found if the federal government curbs its lavish spending habits. [This] table shows the differences, in billions of dollars, between the August 2005 Congressional Budget Office (CBO) "baseline" spending estimates and different spending scenarios.

They give some good examples of why Washington's always wantin' more

"At least $45 billion each year is being wasted in improper payments by the federal government – and that amount only covers a limited number of federal agencies. If the 3.9% rate of known improper payments is applied to the entire federal government, elimination of these improper payments could save taxpayers at least $100 billion each year."

Now, I know about this one first-paw. Soon as ya' start givin' away billions to every Tom, Dick, and Silly Human Female for doin' nothin', people will start--ah--doin' nothin'--or spendin' those "gifts" on vacation travelin' and visitin' strip clubs. I imagine that budget would already be balanced if the right agencies started shuttin' off the drippy faucets.

"The General Services Administration, the chief procurement agency for the entire federal government, charges “middle-man” fees of almost $20 billion to purchase $66 billion worth of goods and services for the government. That equals a “middle-man” fee of nearly 30%, even though the private sector usually charges less than 5% for the same services.

Sounds like it's time the GSA was introduced to that "we eliminate the middle-man" motto.

"The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the nation’s accounting watchdog, has seen cost overruns of $47 million on its building projects. The SEC’s building project costs, estimated to total $22 million, have instead tripled to $69 million."

Hmmm… Guess that answers the question: "Who's watchin' the watchdog?" No one.

"The U.S. Agency on International Development spent less than 10% of its $90 million malaria budget to purchase products that treat or prevent malaria. The agency spent less than 1% of its malaria budget on drugs to prevent or treat a curable disease that is the leading killer of children in Africa."

Can you say bring back DDT? 'Course--speakin' of blood-suckin', malaria-spreadin' usless insects--you'd have to spray down the EPA first…

posted by Harrison at 12:10 AM