 |
Federal employees used government credit cards to pay for lingerie, gambling, iPods, Internet dating services, and a $13,000 steak-and-liquor dinner, according to a new audit from the Government Accountability Office, which found widespread abuses in a purchasing program meant to improve bureaucratic efficiency.
The GAO also found that agencies could not account for nearly $2 million worth of items identified in the audit — including laptop computers, digital cameras and, at the Army, more than a dozen computer servers worth $100,000 each.
“Too many government employees have viewed purchase cards as their personal line of credit,” Coleman said. “It’s time to cut up their cards and start over.”
The pandemic devolution of our civil service into a Banana Republic bureaucracy continues apace. Lower-level bureaucrats imitate their Fearless Leaders with little or no concern for regulation or oversight.
Repukes – STEALING IN ALL DIRECTIONS !!!
I read this kind of story about every 4 months. It should be impossible “from the start” to file for inappropriate expenses===where is the supervisor????====but if that fails, where is the follow-up audit??
Every lost piece of equipement, every inappropriate expenditure should result in corrective action against the perp, and the perp’s boss.
Easy to stop===if===anybody wanted to. I guess the question is, how do you know if the bureaucracy you are in won’t provide the oversight anyone with a brain would think they would?
Society evolves/devolves this way–knowing what is appropriate by what is allowed.
#1 This happened on Clinton’s watch too. But for some reason the want These same Government to run our Health Care program.
The pandemic devolution of our civil service into a Banana Republic bureaucracy continues apace.
You say that like its a bad thing… 🙂
Sometimes only satire helps. My latest webcomic is on this waste. “Lower-level bureaucrats imitate their Fearless Leaders with little or no concern for regulation or oversight.” My thoughts exactly.
http://facebigelow.blogspot.com/2008/04/face-bigelow-58-free-credit-cards.html
I don’t know about you guys but this does not surprise me … unfortunately.
as much as I hate teh government, I want to work for them now. “Gimmie one of them gobbament hats. Da one with the antenna.”
Abuse might be uncovered, but it won’t stop
I work for the government, and I am here to help. But seriously, there is lots of oversight of credit cards, with improper use even once, resulting in suspension of credit card privaleges. Credit card problems are in private companies also, just that no one looks there. — so we should instead pay with cash to do business? tell me of a single person who has not abused a credit card that is someone elses in your family? You never bought $5 in gasolene and forgot to pay back your dad? Liar!!
The whole Bush government is corrupt – top to bottom. Who gave those GOP pukes tax payer funded credit cards? Bush and his criminal element, that’s who.
#9, you’re saying that hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of federal employees, including everyone from postal workers to military members, FBI agents to subject matter experts for the FCC, are corrupt, and get changed out every four to eight years with the inauguration of a new president? Get real.
Remember when conservatives sanctimoniously finger wagged us liberals about our “liberal” spending?
They get all the power and made us look like penny pinchers.
What a steaming pile of hypocrisy conservatism turned out to be.
Never, ever again should America elect anyone to office who doesn’t believe in the power of government to do good.
While improperly using the credit cards is wrong, I don’t think the program should be trashed. This is a case of a few mistakes being highlighted and the entire Civil Service being painted as abusers.
Ten $100,000 computer servers are not bought using credit cards. Items like this only tend to distort the actual issues.
A $13,000 dinner? Yes, that does sound excessive for 81 people. Private businesses would have few qualms with smoozing clients. The US Postal Service is supposed to be run competitively and profitably.
Women’s underwear for jungle training? I guess the head auditors didn’t know that leeches and other parasites won’t attach themselves to pantyhose.
And yes, there are many private companies that have even worse abuses on their company cards. For example Dennis Kozlowski and Conrad Black.
Using the credit cards saves the tax payers time and money in the long run. The ability to purchase items as needed allows for smoother running of OUR business. Jail those committing fraud sure, but don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.
I am not surprised by this at all. I’m sure there is a lot that was not found by the audit.
Dear Mr Catshit
No don’t throw the baby out with the bath water don’t even let the baby near the bath water as we all know they will either pee in it or crap in it. I say just give the baby a sponge bath. Also the post office is a jobs program for those who were unacceptable for McDonalds .
I have a son who has on more than one occasion been directed to put charges on his govt issued credit card so if anything came back it would be on him not his superior ….he refused and was reprimanded for failing to follow orders. Fortunately his superior was found out by his superior and is now my son’s subordinate. Ain’t life sweet.
As for trashing the program because it saves me money I just can’t afford to save anymore with this program.