Party on your dime?

$823,000 GSA Las Vegas Conference

Remember last fall the Justice Department had a huge conference and I made mention of the ourage that included an $16 Muffin? Well Agencies of our US Government seem to be in a contest to see who can waste more of your hard earned dollars.

This week the GSA has been rocked by a spending scandal that has revealed the highest ranking leaders of this fine agency are the ones behind the spending spree. These are the guys who contract for services for the US Government, you know the guys who are watching over every penny we spend.

The Chief of the General Services Administration, Martha N. Johnson resigned today amid yet another case of irresponsible spending by federal employees. A conference that featured a clown, a mind reader and a $31,208 reception. But wait ... there's more. $130,000 in travel expenses for six scouting trips. Wonder what they were scouting?  Robert A. Peck also fired had a private party in Peck's loft suite that cost over $2,000. Think that included the lap dance?

Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn) called the episode "a stupid and infuriating waste of taxpayer dollars". House Oversite and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) said it reflects the waste that exists in a bloated federal government." Well ai'nt that the kettle calling the pot black? Geez ... what is it going to take to stop irresponsible spending?

A Balanced Budget Amendment

Laws must be adopted and enforced to balance the budget and prevent deficit spending and we must weed out the employee's of the US Government that don't care about spending, "because it ain't their money."
Attitude's like this prevail because the Administrators and Cabinet level officials violate policies and serve as a poor example for their employee's. If high level deputies are spending like money grows on trees what do you think the guy at the bottom of the totem pole is doing? The sad truth is everyone is mismanaging US Taxpayer dollars and the behemoth US Government is too big to notice.

So What Now?

So the White House is embarrassed, Obama blirts out a 30 second soundbite, the story ends today and life on Capitol Hill goes back to business as usual.

WAIT A MINUTE

That is unless we get rid of every Congressman and Senator that doesn't speak up and do something about "BIG GOVERNMENT". The waste is larger than our deficit. If we would simply scale down and trim and get rid of wasteful spending we could start to wittle at the deficit.

There are many more radical ways to SHOCK the US back to reality but that would take cleaning the entire House and Senate and starting from scratch. If there is even one guy (or gal) left the abuse will continue.

Back to the Conference ... Did I mention the $5,600 for three semi-private catered in-room parties?$44 breakfasts (you know Holiday Inn Express it comes with the room guys) How about $75,000 for a "team building" exercise to build a bicycle. Geez Martha, you can buy the best bike in the world for three grand. Oh and $146,000 on catered food, $6,325 on commemorative coins to reward all participants for their work on the stimulus. Guys ... the word on the street is that didn't work. And to top off the last evening dinner, they all received "yearbooks" to the tune of $8,130. Boy it would have been swell to be there for the Kumba Yah book signing.

At the time of her appointment Ms. Johnson was quoted, Ethics, "is a big issue for me," she said at the time, adding that "it's right and it's good business" to be a "responsible steward of taxpayer dollars' because "they're trusting you with their pocketbooks."
Ms Johnson, I wouldn't trust you with my piggy bank let alone my wallet or my hard earned tax-dollars. Enter divine justice.

Gary DeMoss
IN MY RIGHT MIND