$619 billion missing from government spending site

[The Captain]

money.msn.com/investing/post--dollar619-billion-missing-from-government-spending-site

"Running for president the next year, Obama declared, "This historic law will lift the veil of secrecy in Washington and ensure that our government is transparent and accountable to the American people."

Now the Government Accountability Office has released a report (PDF) assessing how well the website is holding up to that promise. The answer? Not very well."



Yes!  Let's trust to government with even more of our freedom and resources!!!

[greeniis10]

Oooh, I read this article this morning and my first thought was, "Wonder who will post it first?"  Subsequent comments should be interesting...

[jkapp]

I read that too earlier today...the most ridiculous part of the story is that the idea for the website was co-sponsored by Obama!  So it was important for him when he was a Senator but he couldn't care less now that he's president.  

Apparently he's only interested in transparency for OTHER admins...

[Malarky]

I'm so glad I was born in America where I can comment on the stupidity of our government  and hate it right out loud.  


Asshats.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

...but if you owe the IRS $619.00 -- they'll find that shit.

[dondub]

 I'm still wondering about the $2.3 trillion missing at the Pentagon...Rumsfield on 9/10/01, Dov Zakheim, and the unfortunate investigators that were blown up at the Pentagon on 9/11.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

Aug 9, 2014 12:23:21 GMT -5 dondub said:

 I'm still wondering about the $2.3 trillion missing at the Pentagon...Rumsfield on 9/10/01, Dov Zakheim, and the unfortunate investigators that were blown up at the Pentagon on 9/11.

I want to clear something up right now- are you a "truther"?  Because here's the deal- if you are, we have nothing else to talk about.  Ever.

Glenn Beck railed on about this just a few days ago, and the fact is the money isn't "missing", it just isn't "tracked".  What that means, is that it is spent, and they can't tell us where it was spent, or on what.  That's different than missing.  If I leave with some money in my pocket, and proceed to shop, eat out, and do whatever, and I get home and I don't have any money left- the money isn't "missing".  I just don't know what I spent it on.

Should the government be transparent and accountable for where the money was spent, and on what?  Yes.  We ought to demand that.  But we don't have to paint plain old government incompetence, general irresponsibility, and inefficiency as some conspiracy.

[tallguy]

But we don't have to paint plain old government incompetence, general irresponsibility, and inefficiency as some conspiracy.
 

If we include liberals along with government, can't half of your threads be painted as some version of exactly that?   

[dondub]

 What's a "truther"?

 In reference to this thread title I was simply reminded of an earlier claim about 'missing' funds which totalled a Hell of a lot more.



www.911myths.com/index.php/Missing_Trillions

 The comments in the yellow boxes are quite interesting. I would wade through the 9/11 inside job stuff with my 'ignore' on if I were you.

[EVT1]

2.3 trillion is pocket change?

[NoNamePerson]

$619 billion missing from government spending site

Probably all they can find missing. Accounting doesn't seem to be a goverment strong point no matter which party is in office.

[truthbound]

$619 billion missing from government spending site

Bless your heart. You think that is all that is missing.

[TheHaitian]

Aug 10, 2014 6:12:54 GMT -5 truthbound said:

$619 billion missing from government spending site

Bless your heart. You think that is all that is missing.

LOL!!!

[djAdvocate]

Aug 7, 2014 13:06:35 GMT -5 The Captain said:

money.msn.com/investing/post--dollar619-billion-missing-from-government-spending-site

"Running for president the next year, Obama declared, "This historic law will lift the veil of secrecy in Washington and ensure that our government is transparent and accountable to the American people."

Now the Government Accountability Office has released a report (PDF) assessing how well the website is holding up to that promise. The answer? Not very well."



Yes!  Let's trust to government with even more of our freedom and resources!!!

should have a simple fix: an audit would trace the money trail.  until then, i withhold judgment.

[wvugurl26]

Aug 11, 2014 11:07:55 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

Aug 7, 2014 13:06:35 GMT -5 The Captain said:

money.msn.com/investing/post--dollar619-billion-missing-from-government-spending-site

"Running for president the next year, Obama declared, "This historic law will lift the veil of secrecy in Washington and ensure that our government is transparent and accountable to the American people."

Now the Government Accountability Office has released a report (PDF) assessing how well the website is holding up to that promise. The answer? Not very well."



Yes!  Let's trust to government with even more of our freedom and resources!!!

should have a simple fix: an audit would trace the money trail.  until then, i withhold judgment.

Except for the fact that DOD has unauditable financial statements and they spend a ton of money.

[djAdvocate]

Aug 11, 2014 11:09:15 GMT -5 wvugurl26 said:

Aug 11, 2014 11:07:55 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

should have a simple fix: an audit would trace the money trail.  until then, i withhold judgment.

Except for the fact that DOD has unauditable financial statements and they spend a ton of money.

cut the defense budget 50%, and you will reduce that problem by 50%. 

[The Captain]

Aug 11, 2014 11:07:55 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

Aug 7, 2014 13:06:35 GMT -5 The Captain said:

money.msn.com/investing/post--dollar619-billion-missing-from-government-spending-site

"Running for president the next year, Obama declared, "This historic law will lift the veil of secrecy in Washington and ensure that our government is transparent and accountable to the American people."

Now the Government Accountability Office has released a report (PDF) assessing how well the website is holding up to that promise. The answer? Not very well."



Yes!  Let's trust to government with even more of our freedom and resources!!!

should have a simple fix: an audit would trace the money trail.  until then, i withhold judgment.

I agree but want to follow up with a question: Does the fact that they are not able to accurately track spending cause you any concern/judgement?

Forget there probably is may be mis-spending, the fact that they can't or won't account for it, is what bothers me.

[djAdvocate]

Aug 11, 2014 12:47:53 GMT -5 The Captain said:

Aug 11, 2014 11:07:55 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

should have a simple fix: an audit would trace the money trail.  until then, i withhold judgment.

I agree but want to follow up with a question: Does the fact that they are not able to accurately track spending cause you any concern/judgement?

Forget there probably is may be mis-spending, the fact that they can't or won't account for it, is what bothers me.

sure.  but i prefer to reserve my outrage for stuff i can prove.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

Aug 11, 2014 11:16:20 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

Aug 11, 2014 11:09:15 GMT -5 wvugurl26 said:

Except for the fact that DOD has unauditable financial statements and they spend a ton of money.

cut the defense budget 50%, and you will reduce that problem by 50%. 

Why stop at the Pentagon.  Cut the entire government back 50%- which btw, would be to the level of the outrageous spending of the Bush years.

[djAdvocate]

Aug 11, 2014 16:16:38 GMT -5 AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP said:

Aug 11, 2014 11:16:20 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

cut the defense budget 50%, and you will reduce that problem by 50%. 

Why stop at the Pentagon.  Cut the entire government back 50%- which btw, would be to the level of the outrageous spending of the Bush years.

false.  Bush's 2008 budget was $2.9T
Obama's 2013 budget was $3.45T
adjusted for inflation, Obama's budget is less than 8% higher

 but if 8% is now 100% to you, perhaps i can sell you an 8% loan?

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

Great. Let's just cut it back to $2.9T

[The Captain]

Aug 11, 2014 16:41:43 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

Aug 11, 2014 16:16:38 GMT -5 AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP said:

Why stop at the Pentagon.  Cut the entire government back 50%- which btw, would be to the level of the outrageous spending of the Bush years.

false.  Bush's 2008 budget was $2.9T
Obama's 2013 budget was $3.45T
adjusted for inflation, Obama's budget is less than 8% higher

 but if 8% is now 100% to you, perhaps i can sell you an 8% loan?

DJ - do you by any chance have a source with stats I can dig into?  I've been curious how the numbers would look like adjusted (if possible) for all the additional folks who retired or got disability when the economy tanked.  I've tried searching on comparables for that with no success so far.  I can't even find estimates of how much those amounts are but can remember reading about it.

[djAdvocate]

Aug 11, 2014 16:44:41 GMT -5 AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP said:

Great. Let's just cut it back to $2.9T

actually, if we could simply freeze spending, revenues would eventually catch up, as the real cost would decline every year.

[djAdvocate]

Aug 11, 2014 17:18:58 GMT -5 The Captain said:

Aug 11, 2014 16:41:43 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

false.  Bush's 2008 budget was $2.9T
Obama's 2013 budget was $3.45T
adjusted for inflation, Obama's budget is less than 8% higher

 but if 8% is now 100% to you, perhaps i can sell you an 8% loan?

DJ - do you by any chance have a source with stats I can dig into?  I've been curious how the numbers would look like adjusted (if possible) for all the additional folks who retired or got disability when the economy tanked.  I've tried searching on comparables for that with no success so far.  I can't even find estimates of how much those amounts are but can remember reading about it.

yeah.  i always use the GDP adjusted figure, as it shows the relative cost of governing to the overall economy.

www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxfacts/displayafact.cfm?Docid=200

i don't know why this info is so hard to dig up.  i find it quite frustrating, as well, which is why this got BOOKMARKED! 

[Savoir Faire-Demogague in NJ]

Aug 11, 2014 16:44:41 GMT -5 AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP said:

Great. Let's just cut it back to $2.9T

Missing from that post is the fact that the democratic party controlled Congress and the Senate. I'll point out that congress controls the purse strings in govt.

But you guys all knew this....

[djAdvocate]

Aug 20, 2014 10:32:32 GMT -5 Savoir Faire-Demogague in NJ said:

Aug 11, 2014 16:44:41 GMT -5 AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP said:

Great. Let's just cut it back to $2.9T

Missing from that post is the fact that the democratic party controlled Congress and the Senate. I'll point out that congress controls the purse strings in govt.

But you guys all knew this....

there is enough discretionary spending that the VETO could balance the budget, and there is not sufficient votes on most measures to override.  therefore, the ultimate responsibility falls to the president for balancing the budget.

but you already knew this.......