just more wasteful govt spending

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by beast, Sep 21, 2011.


  1. beast

    beast backwoodsman

    $16 muffins, $8 coffee served in Justice audit

    d0c3eb8ca18907492a4b337b5cec5193. <cite class="byline vcard">By JoAnne Allen | Reuters – <abbr title="2011-09-21T02:36:23Z">2 hrs 44 mins ago</abbr></cite>

    U.S. slideshows




    See latest photos »



    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As the government grapples to find ways to trim the bloated federal deficit, a new report suggests officials might start with cutting out $16 muffins and $10 cookies.
    "We found the Department (of Justice) spent $16 on each of the 250 muffins served at an August 2009 legal conference in Washington," said a DOJ Office of Inspector General report released on Tuesday.
    The DOJ spent $121 million on conferences in fiscal 2008 and 2009, which exceeded its own spending limits and appeared to be extravagant and wasteful, according to the report that examined 10 conferences held during that period.
    The review turned up the expensive muffins, which came from the Capital Hilton Hotel just blocks from the White House, as well as cookies and brownies that cost almost $10 each.
    The department spent $32 per person on snacks of Cracker Jack, popcorn, and candy bars and coffee that cost $8.24 per cup at another conference, the report said.
    The DOJ also spent nearly $600,000 for event planning services for five conferences, the document said.
    A Justice Department spokeswoman said most of the gathering were held when there were no strict limits on food and beverage costs, adding the DOJ had taken steps since 2009 "to ensure that these problems do not occur again."
    Word of the agency's extravagant spending drew a swift response from Capitol Hill.
    Senator Chuck Grassley, the senior Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee which has oversight of the Justice Department, said the report was a blueprint for the first cuts that should be made by the "super committee" searching for at least $1.2 trillion in savings.
    "Sixteen dollar muffins and $600,000 for event planning services are what make Americans cynical about government and why they are demanding change," Grassley said in a statement. "People are outraged, and rightly so."
    (Reporting by JoAnne Allen; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
     
  2. -06

    -06 Monkey+++

    Marie Antoinette paid the penalty for extravagant living. Our way is to vote the entire crowd of crooked cronies out. Until there is enough ticked off people to make that happen nothing will change.
     
  3. chelloveck

    chelloveck Diabolus Causidicus

    Conflating Marie with Michelle???

    Ahem....you seem to have something of a knack for oversimplification.....

    Being of Austrian origins perhaps had something to do with it,

    France being at war with Austria at the time of the revolutionary struggle may have had something to do with it,

    Being caught up in class warfare between the peasantry and burgeoise on one hand and the King and conservative aristocracy on the other may have had some to do with it,

    Being married to an unpopular, ineffectual king may have had something to do with it,

    Being allowed no real defence at a show trial the outcome of which had already been determined by the Committee of Public Safety, may have had something to do with it,

    Choosing not to flee into exile early enough to escape safely, and being caught in a failed attempt at escape may have had something to do with her execution,

    The refusal of the Committee for Public Safety to entertain suggestions to exchange her for French prisoners of war, ransom, or to allow her to go into exile to America (as was suggested by Thomas Paine), may have had something to do with it,

    Yes, her profligate lifestyle, both actual and perceived did not endear her to the French, but it is likely under the circumstances that she would have lost her head anyway, even if she had lived a very modest and ascetic lifestyle. Epitomising all that the First Estate stood for is what cost her her head, her penchent for self indulgence, merely an excuse.

    I don't think that Michelle will lose her head because some civil servants blow out the coffee and donut budget at conferences....but it may give her husband some cause for concern, figuratively speaking if he wants a second run at the top job.
     
  4. tacmotusn

    tacmotusn RIP 1/13/21

    and here we go again .....

    News Alert: House rejects resolution to fund government after Sept. 30
    September 21, 2011 6:08:49 PM
    ----------------------------------------

    The House rejected a resolution Wednesday to fund the government through Nov. 18, as GOP leaders were unable to overcome opposition from Democrats who wanted more disaster relief and conservatives who wanted to cut more deeply. President Obama must sign a continuing resolution by Sept. 30 or risk a government shutdown.

    http://link.email.washingtonpost.com/r/2GZNC0/265DZ1/ZCLDD4/QW6145/PICPM/UP/h
     
  5. Tikka

    Tikka Monkey+++

    Hopefully this shut down won't become another crisis so 0bama and bone head don't raise the debt ceiling again.
     
  6. chelloveck

    chelloveck Diabolus Causidicus

    More pain for America....and what ripples from it.

    This is not going to help the stability of the US$.........expect more capital and currency flights to further lower the United States investment ratings. These internecine ideological struggles over competing economic / fiscal policies will only further weaken America's strength to the point that China needn't actually invade America....all they need to do is to send in the repo men to collect on America's debts.
     
  7. beast

    beast backwoodsman

    deer season is comin up
    i think i may hunt this year
    sounds like i should stash enuff beef to last til july
     
    Alpha Dog, VisuTrac and chelloveck like this.
  8. chelloveck

    chelloveck Diabolus Causidicus

    When America sneezes

    It sounds like a plan all round......economic consumption (aka TB) has a way of spreading.
     
  9. limpingbear

    limpingbear future cancer survivor....


    You hunt slow elk?[rofllmao]
     
  10. dragonfly

    dragonfly Monkey+++

    I will! I have no idea what elk tastes like, BUT I like beef!
    It's whats for dinner!
     
  11. dragonfly

    dragonfly Monkey+++

    Now, about those "muffins" and "cookies"...
    I heard a cute story once, about a SMART cookie that went door to door selling Girl Scouts...!
    Maybe....? Nah! Not in our gooberment!
     
survivalmonkey SSL seal        survivalmonkey.com warrant canary
17282WuJHksJ9798f34razfKbPATqTq9E7