Government wasting 'tens of billions' of dollars.

[Nervous Wreck]

As lawmakers across the Capitol hear appeals Tuesday from Obama administration secretaries pleading for their budgets, duplication and overlap in dozens of areas of government is wasting "tens of billions of dollars annually," a new government report shows.
According to the Government Accountability Agency's 2012 annual report, nearly every department of the Executive Branch has room for improvement.
The report, which gives 51 areas and recommends 130 actions, follows a 2011 GAO report that showed 81 areas and 176 actions to be taken to "reduce or eliminate unnecessary duplication, overlap, or fragmentation or achieve other potential financial benefits."

"Collectively, these reports show that, if the actions are implemented, the government could potentially save tens of billions of dollars annually," Gene Dodaro, comptroller general for the U.S., said in remarks prepared for Tuesday's hearing in the House Oversight and Government Relations Committee.
Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., also a witness Tuesday, estimated that waste and duplication costs taxpayers more like $100 billion per year.
"Not one corner of our daily life remains untouched by a government program or federal effort," Coburn said in testimony being delivered Tuesday. "From what we eat and drink, to where we live, work, and socialize, nearly every aspect of human behavior and American society are addressed by multiple government programs."
Coburn said last year's report listed more than 100 surface transportation programs; 88 economic development programs; 82 teacher quality programs; 56 financial literacy programs; 47 job training programs; 20 homelessness prevention and assistance programs; 18 food for the hungry programs; and 17 disaster response and preparedness programs.
He said government's duplication in nutritional programs alone -- worth $62.5 billion in 2008, according to GAO -- have burned taxpayers over items as simple as potato chips.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/02 ... latestnews

[katie]

SMH - I think if Obama had spent the last 3 years "cleaning up" govt rather than creating more, he would have had a whole lot of us in the "center" leaning a little further left.... seems he took the easy road out, creating more jobs.