Posted on 03/11/2019 12:20:45 PM PDT by detective
It turns out September, not April, may be federal taxpayers’ worst nightmare.
The end of the government’s fiscal year usually brings an orgy of spending as agencies look at their budgets, see extra cash lying around, and figure they’d better use it all up or risk it getting cut in the future.
The “use it or lose it” mentality explains why the Defense Department spent $9,241 on a Wexford leather chair, $2.3 million on crab and another $2.3 million on lobster tails in September, according to a study released Thursday by OpenTheBooks.
Taxpayers shelled out $97 billion on contracts in September, including a staggering $53 billion in the final week — seven days that cost more than the entire month of August.
“In the final month of the fiscal year, federal agencies scramble to spend what’s left in their annual budget; agencies worry spending less than their budget allows might prompt Congress to appropriate less money in the next fiscal year,” said the report from the government-spending watchdog group. “To avoid this, federal agencies choose to embark on an annual shopping spree rather than admit they can operate on less.”
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
I would like to point out that the Military Budget is the one focused on.......how about showing us the Education or any other budget, too?? And are they pretending this was different under Obama? The News Media is really intent on pointing out the negatives during Republican Admin’s and ignoring EVERYTHING negative during Democrat Admins.
This is the Washington Times.
I have been convinced for years now that somewhere there is a warehouse the size of New York stacked to the ceiling with brand new unused shovels...
More porn.
Yes, the WT is usually sympathetic. But perhaps they could have researched further to find more examples rather than single out the Military. And perhaps the Military could have used the money to pay their fighting personnel more.
This happens in Corp America too. My Dept spends every last dime or risks getting a smaller slice of the pie next budget.
Private business operates the same way. No department head wants their budget cut for the following year.
Yeah, ditto that. But it’s time to wipe, like with a cloth, these government leeches.
Overspending is bad wherever it comes from. Both the defense department and the ‘education’ industry waste tons of money. We could have a better paid more effective fighting force for a fraction of the 100s of billions we spend each year running feminism workshops in fundamentalist Muslim countries, buying 700 dollar hammers, and developing fancy toys we let the Chinese steal.
We've created an unsustainable, massive, spend-crazy royalty that seemingly can't be contained.
It makes one want to cry, what has happened to this country.
22 trillion in debt and climbing.
I’ve said before, it was never supposed to be a GREAT CAREER to work in or for government.
Amazing how far we’ve strayed from founding fathers’ ideals.
If they’re gonna splurge, they should splurge on incentives for dept heads or individuals who run their departments or units UNDER budget.
Yup. People who think this is anything
new are too young to vote.
This happens in Corp America too. My Dept spends every last dime or risks getting a smaller slice of the pie next budget.
~~~
This must be what happens when departments or divisions only make budgets for one side of the ledger and are not responsible for running the the black on the below the line. I run a department that must make a profit, and in a competitive market, the best way to increase margins is to cut costs. Even still, shame on your fiscal officers for not reigning you in and doing audits
Gingrich almost had a balanced budget amendment during the contract for America. O! How things would be different today.
Is it just me, or did the Washington Times go snarky once they put up the pay wall? Since most people won’t pay for WT online, maybe they decided to show a little ankle.
I’ve never understood the ‘use it or lose it’ budget.
You certainly wouldn’t run your home like that.
Not using it should be rewarded not punished. It would be saner to return excess to the tax payers. It’s also insane to punish for not using everything.
This behavior should be punished. If the military leadership is wasting money on things that are not beneficial to increased power projection or military power they should be charged with theft.
That’s taxpayers money. If its not used it should be returned to the treasury.
These days if a federal manager spends under budget they will be demoted in a heartbeat.
Many agencies hold off a large chunk of their off-site training and travel until September (the last month of the fiscal year) and then have accountants studying the numbers to make sure they spend every last nickel of remaining travel dollars.
Seems like I heard of a warehouse that was full of new underwear for the Korean War
Maybe in the early 00s.
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