Where DOES your money go? Does anyone know? Does anyone even CARE?
- Thread starter Barbella
- Start date
as seen on tv
Senator
exellent post -
there are huge opportunities to reduce government spending, but rooting out duplicative and redundant activities. i defy anyone to draw specific boundaries around the responsiblities of NSA, FBI, CIA, Homeland Security, The Border Patrol, The US Coast Guard . . .
the state department should NOT have a slush fund to pass out bribes to foreign powers. foreign aid should be specifically authorized and funded by congress.
this is why billions went missing in afghanistan, and ended up in the hands of opium warlords who keep troupes of "dancing boys"
there are huge opportunities to reduce government spending, but rooting out duplicative and redundant activities. i defy anyone to draw specific boundaries around the responsiblities of NSA, FBI, CIA, Homeland Security, The Border Patrol, The US Coast Guard . . .
the state department should NOT have a slush fund to pass out bribes to foreign powers. foreign aid should be specifically authorized and funded by congress.
this is why billions went missing in afghanistan, and ended up in the hands of opium warlords who keep troupes of "dancing boys"
Barbella
Senator
Government is too big, too unwieldy, spread too far and wide, and has lost any and all oversight, IMO. Taxpayer money is getting thrown around like it's just old paper... and there's always more where that's coming from...
THAT'S why sane people root for smaller government.
Colorforms
Senator
We are forced to sit on the sidelines and allow government to watchdog itself. Who are approving of these appropriations? Are they going through the house? They are supposed to be the ones approving this stuff. Or is Barry simply throwing our money at people because it makes him feel good, and consequences be damned?
Barbella
Senator
Don't you feel as though you're being robbed on a daily basis? I do...
That sucking sound you hear? It's your money being sucked out of your wallet, every second of every day. And that's how the rich get richer, and the middle class bleeds...
Mr. Friscus
Governor
The federal government might as well be a living, breathing entity. It has defense mechanisms that is always uses.
Threatened with tighting the belt? Nothing a little fear-mongering can't fix. Shut down some national park for show to top it off. Meanwhile, stories like this are far too many. The government wastes far too much.
If I were in charge, I wouldn't take a little off the top, I'd buzz cut and make these long established, comfortable, unproductive, inefficient departments reorganize the way everything is done from the ground up.
Threatened with tighting the belt? Nothing a little fear-mongering can't fix. Shut down some national park for show to top it off. Meanwhile, stories like this are far too many. The government wastes far too much.
If I were in charge, I wouldn't take a little off the top, I'd buzz cut and make these long established, comfortable, unproductive, inefficient departments reorganize the way everything is done from the ground up.
Barbella
Senator
The thing that pisses me off is that we could probably balance the budget if we only managed to spend our money responsibly and eliminated duplication, fraud, and waste...
WITHOUT hurting ANYONE.
Colorforms
Senator
Getting people working again would help as well.
Arkady
President
I'm all for tracking down this money and, if it's being deliberately misused, punishing those responsible to the full extent of the law. However, I'm more concerned about the military budget. The State Department, like most areas of the government, is arguably underfunded (in proportion to what other leading nations spend). I would be surprised if there were as much waste or graft to be found there as in the military budget, which is far and away the largest areas of discretionary spending, and wildly out-of-line with the norms of advanced nations.
