Another GAO report.. more of the same Government Waste

Another year, another GAO report ( AP ), more of the same government waste is found. It seems it never ends, or in any case, ever gets better. Every year there seems to be a GAO report or audit that finds that there is continually an issue with government employees wasting tax payer dollars. This time instead of $400 hammers, we are paying for online dating services, steaks and crab, tailor made suits, and my favorite, “women’s lingerie” for “use during jungle training by trainees of a drug enforcement program in Ecuador.” You just know those thongs were much more comfortable in that jungle heat.

To me it isn’t that the GAO found “questionable” expenses, or “some” lack of department controls of expenditures, it is the fact that year after year it continues to pop up as a problem.

Many Americans are struggling to hold on to their homes, afford gas to get to their jobs, and pay their taxes, only to find that time and time again government oversight of expenses are wasting vast amounts of those hard earned dollars. It speaks to the attitude of long standing practices as Senator Norm Coleman stated “Too many government employees have viewed purchase cards as their personal line of credit”. And I agree with his sentiment that “When money that is intended to pay for critical infrastructure, education, and homeland security is instead being spent on iPods, lingerie and socializing, we must immediately remedy the problem.”

But the bigger and more systemic problem is that it will simply die down, only to re-surface with the next GAO report. As is the trend in these situations Senator Carl Levin stated “Although internal controls over government credit cards have improved we still have a long way to go…”, and that seems to be the consistent response.

Our government leaders wonder why there is such cynicism in the American public toward government. All they have to do is look at how they have managed the hard earned money that is given them by that public to get a clue.

Full GAO report can be found here