Government Waste - name your favorite government money sinkhole !!

bmulligan

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I just received a cute little envelope in the mail today. It was from the US department of treasury. Contents of this government issue were a letter, a window sticker, and a refrigerator magnet with the year's callendar. This was a spoecial callendar with red squares for quarterly tax payments were due, and blue circles for all the federal holidays.

I have a big problem with this. I KNOW when my quarterlies are due, they are tatooed on the top of my brain. I don't need a stupid freaking magnet to remind me when I need to send my estimated tax to the government. (You youngins out there get ready, you have no clue what the real world is like, but it's coming - you cannot avoid it.)

This is a perfect example of government waste in practice. How much did it cost all of us for them to design this package, author a letter, print said items, enclose it and MAIL it to thousands of households and businesses ? Too much, whatever the cost. Sparking my memory of other wasteful government expenditures, I seem to recall a few from recent past that exemplify federal fat. Among these are:

The postal service ad campaign. Honestly, has anyone NOT heard of the postal service? Do we need commercials telling us how great the USPS is? I like Lance Armstrong and all, but do we really need to PAY to sponser him in the Tour De France? I'm sure there are private companies lining up to sponser the guy whose won it 6 times in a row.

The Census Bureau. Do we not teach about the census in school anymore? Do we really need to have a barrage of commercials about the need to fill out the forms every 10 years? I think not. It's part of our civic duty but we don't need to buy TV time to advertise it.

Our tax credits. Rebember our tax cuts 2 years back? Remenber the letter they sent you reminding you that you were going to receive a check from Uncle Sam? Why in god's name do you have to send me a letter telling me you are going to send me a check? If my memory serves me correctly it cost them $35 million just to mail that stupid freaking letter.

Fedrally matching campaign funds. I'm not sure how much I should write about this one. I don't think I could stop before Cheapy ran out of space for it. Let's just say that I don't think we need to be paying for any of these idiots while they campaign, lie, steal, kiss ass, shake hands, and say stupid shit on TV just to buy our votes.


Enough is enough. Every bitch in washington cries about budget crises but never lifts a finger to DO anything about it. They only look for more ways to spend it. Why are you voting for these people.....why.........?
PLEASE EXPLAIN YOURSELVES !!!
 
I somewhat agree with the other 3, but I don't see why the postal service wouldn't advertise. They are competitors with other shipping companies like UPs, FedEx, Airborne Express, CDW, ect. who advertise alot more. Those ads are not so much for people like you and me who just stick letters or bills in our mailbox, but rather to get contracts with companies and corporations and also to get people to ship packages with them. If you had a business and saw on the advantages of using FedEx advertised on TV and never saw an USPS ad telling you anything about, chances are you'd just go with FexEx cuz you know more about them.
 
Don't get me started on federal campaign funds. It makes me, er, a little upset that Bush and Kerry are using my tax money to jet across the country and kiss ass to try to get elected.
 
Favorite government sinkhole...

That would be the helium reserve. It's very important the government buy all helium on the market for the blimps protecting our shores from German U-Boats.
 
Personally, I have great affinity for The HalliburtonCheney Department of Defense fund. I am so excited about four more years of Bush-Cheney so we can give Halliburton millions and millions of dollars more in no-bid contracts. (sarcasm) The fact that they can't account for almost 2 billion dollars of taxpayer money makes them the ultimate government sinkhole, which is ironic because they are supposedly a private sector corporation who has to play by the same rules as everyone else.
 
Every damn cent of government funding that goes to really obvious studies. You know, like finding out if grotesquely obese people have a higher risk of heart attacks and stuff like that.
 
Just to defend a couple of these (sorta)

[quote name='bmulligan']I have a big problem with this. I KNOW when my quarterlies are due, they are tatooed on the top of my brain. [/quote]
I'm willing to bet that a lot of people DON'T know, though. I would agree that the refrigerator magnet was a rather unnecessary cost, but I think that its probably a good thing that they occasionally send out letters reminding people about when things are due. In the end, its probably a whole lot cheaper than trying to track down all the people who forgot...

The postal service ad campaign.
USPS isn't a normal government service, in that its supported by the people who use it and not by tax money. It usually roughly breaks even most years, and even occasionally turns a profit. Anyway, its also not like other government services in that it actually has competition, and like any competing enterprise, it does need to let people know the services it offers, and that means advertising (of course, you'd think the USPS would be more attracted to a mail campain... :p)

There's a lot of good reasons to spin it off into a private enterprise instead of continuing it as a government entity, but this really isn't the right thread for that discussion :)

The Census Bureau. Do we not teach about the census in school anymore?
No, we don't. Its a good day when a student graduates knowing how to read enough to work a McDonald's cash register, forget complicated topics like the Census. Of course, that too is another topic...

Our tax credits. Rebember our tax cuts 2 years back? Remenber the letter they sent you reminding you that you were going to receive a check from Uncle Sam? Why in god's name do you have to send me a letter telling me you are going to send me a check? If my memory serves me correctly it cost them $35 million just to mail that stupid freaking letter.

Fedrally matching campaign funds. I'm not sure how much I should write about this one. I don't think I could stop before Cheapy ran out of space for it. Let's just say that I don't think we need to be paying for any of these idiots while they campaign, lie, steal, kiss ass, shake hands, and say stupid shit on TV just to buy our votes.

You act as though you consider these are seperate topics. :p
 
Actually Drocket, the USPS has never supported itself, here's some interesting queries about the USPS from the Heritage Foundation:

http://www.heritage.org/Research/GovernmentReform/BG1685.cfm

Yet the USPS has had substantial difficulty in maintaining and reporting full and accurate accounting information, as documented in several recent reports by the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO). For instance, in recent years, its financial estimates have fluctuated wildly. The USPS initially estimated its fiscal year (FY) 2001 budget deficit at $480 million, and this figure was approved by the USPS board in November 2000; then, just three months later, it grew to an estimated $2 billion-$3 billion. The next year, the Postal Service's estimated deficit of $1.35 billion grew to $4.5 billion only six months later.
 
That Iraqi War is a big waste of $200 billion and 1000 US soldiers. And those numbers are still going up.

And the Star Wars Strategic Defense Initiative too.
 
How much does it cost to mail a letter USPS? 37 cents. Now take that same letter to FedEx or UPS and see how much it costs. Oh, and you're not just sending it across town, either.

There's far bigger and far more useless wastes of money than the postal service.
 
The biggest government money pit is Halliburton.


[quote name='MrBadExample']And the Star Wars Strategic Defense Initiative too.[/quote]
FYI, it doesn't exist, it never has, and most likely it never will.
It doesn't even have a budget, and total money spent on it does not exceed 7 digits.
The 'Star Wars defense system' is just a rumor to make us feel safe.
 
[quote name='Quackzilla']The biggest government money pit is Halliburton.[/quote]

People who parrot liberal buzzwords piss me off.

[quote name='Quackzilla'][quote name='MrBadExample']And the Star Wars Strategic Defense Initiative too.[/quote]
FYI, it doesn't exist, it never has, and most likely it never will.
It doesn't even have a budget, and total money spent on it does not exceed 7 digits.
The 'Star Wars defense system' is just a rumor to make us feel safe.[/quote]

Let's see how nonexistent it is when Bush deploys it in Alaska a couple weeks before the election. Not that it's going to be incredibly effective since we're still testing it. Why do you think that it's made up if they've been testing it where everyone can see? Oh, wait, I know the answer to that.
 
The Postal Service, IIRC, has a monopoly on sending first-class type mail.
For what they provide, I think the USPS does an amazing job for a reasonable price.
My biggest government waste beef is more a concept--the "redheaded Eskimo rule", Congresscritters spending federal dollars on projects that will benefit one very small and very specific component of their community, and sometimes offer no real benefit whatsoever. Ted Stevens is the current kingpin of this.

Regarding Halliburton: They're such crooks. Damn Bush for awarding them a no-bid contract...Too bad Clinton did it first:
"The Clinton administration nonetheless awarded a no-bid contract to Halliburton to continue its work in the Balkans supporting the U.S. peacekeeping mission"

Halliburton won the LOGCAP contract in 2001. They get first dibs.
http://www.nationalreview.com/lowry/lowry200309220926.asp

http://www.aim.org/media_monitor_print/1752_0_2_0/
 
[quote name='PittsburghAfterDark']Favorite government sinkhole...

That would be the helium reserve. It's very important the government buy all helium on the market for the blimps protecting our shores from German U-Boats.[/quote]

Believe it or not, this is more important than you think. There is only a finite amount of helium available. It is important for scientific research among other things. Maybe if people quit wasting it for baloons there would be no need for a reserve.
 
The latest one that pissed me off was when Congress changed their menus to have Freedom Fries etc instead of French. Not a lot of money wasted in the scheme of things, but how pointless?

First they had to draw up the resolution and vote on it - total waste of the time that they're in session, which isn't much out of the year. Then the cost of reprinting all the menus and stuff. And the intangible cost of looking like idiots. And this definitely isn't a Republican vs Democrat issue - they all did it.
 
[quote name='elprincipe']Let's see how nonexistent it is when Bush deploys it in Alaska a couple weeks before the election. Not that it's going to be incredibly effective since we're still testing it. Why do you think that it's made up if they've been testing it where everyone can see? Oh, wait, I know the answer to that.[/quote]

Are you being sarcastic or are you just incredibly stupid?
 
[quote name='Backlash']The latest one that pissed me off was when Congress changed their menus to have Freedom Fries etc instead of French. Not a lot of money wasted in the scheme of things, but how pointless?

First they had to draw up the resolution and vote on it - total waste of the time that they're in session, which isn't much out of the year. Then the cost of reprinting all the menus and stuff. And the intangible cost of looking like idiots. And this definitely isn't a Republican vs Democrat issue - they all did it.[/quote]

That's true. Congress wastes an incredible amount of time [and thus, money] reading things into the record or calling Sept 4 2004 'Joe's Bar Day'. If you want to find some interesting, yet frightening and boring reading, try to find the Congressional Record. My HS used to get it, and the sheer amount of CRAP that was discussed in there was mindboggling.

Another pet peeve is when they have votes.
You'll turn on CSpan and see a Live Vote from the Floor with the counter and the timer. No one is in the room, and the timer's ticking down. A vote or two gets added every few seconds. Then the timer ticks down to 0. Vote's over, right? Nope, not for Congress. That's apparently the signal for people to start wandering back in, stretching, talking, and casting their votes. 10 minutes after the vote deadline has passed.
 
Eddie Murphy needs to get in there and shake things up! Sleep with their daughters, pee on them in the men's room, whatever it takes!
 
[quote name='Quackzilla'][quote name='elprincipe']Let's see how nonexistent it is when Bush deploys it in Alaska a couple weeks before the election. Not that it's going to be incredibly effective since we're still testing it. Why do you think that it's made up if they've been testing it where everyone can see? Oh, wait, I know the answer to that.[/quote]

Are you being sarcastic or are you just incredibly stupid?[/quote]

I think we all know who the incredibly stupid one is around here

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/West/06/19/missle.defense.test/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/auspac/12/03/aust.missile/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/07/08/missile.defense.06/
 
[quote name='sblymnlcrymnl'][quote name='Quackzilla'][quote name='elprincipe']Let's see how nonexistent it is when Bush deploys it in Alaska a couple weeks before the election. Not that it's going to be incredibly effective since we're still testing it. Why do you think that it's made up if they've been testing it where everyone can see? Oh, wait, I know the answer to that.[/quote]

Are you being sarcastic or are you just incredibly stupid?[/quote]

I think we all know who the incredibly stupid one is around here

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/West/06/19/missle.defense.test/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/auspac/12/03/aust.missile/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/07/08/missile.defense.06/[/quote]

No, you're getting the Star Wars Defense system mixed up with the Missile Defense System. The Missile Defense System is a patch-work of sea and land-based missile defense sites using Aegis technology on destroyers and cruisers for searching targets, then an illumination system to target and destroy projectiles. They may even use satellites for relaying information from the control console to the interceptor for course trajectory corrections.

The Star Wars Defense system was an ingenious psychological weapon developed under the Reagan era as a deterrent against Soviet aggression. The idea was to shoot down enemy projectiles directly from space. It never existed except in the minds of the public.
 
[quote name='E-Z-B'][quote name='sblymnlcrymnl'][quote name='Quackzilla'][quote name='elprincipe']Let's see how nonexistent it is when Bush deploys it in Alaska a couple weeks before the election. Not that it's going to be incredibly effective since we're still testing it. Why do you think that it's made up if they've been testing it where everyone can see? Oh, wait, I know the answer to that.[/quote]

Are you being sarcastic or are you just incredibly stupid?[/quote]

I think we all know who the incredibly stupid one is around here

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/West/06/19/missle.defense.test/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/auspac/12/03/aust.missile/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/07/08/missile.defense.06/[/quote]

No, you're getting the Star Wars Defense system mixed up with the Missile Defense System. The Missile Defense System is a patch-work of sea and land-based missile defense sites using Aegis technology on destroyers and cruisers for searching targets, then an illumination system to target and destroy projectiles. They may even use satellites for relaying information from the control console to the interceptor for course trajectory corrections.

The Star Wars Defense system was an ingenious psychological weapon developed under the Reagan era as a deterrent against Soviet aggression. The idea was to shoot down enemy projectiles directly from space. It never existed except in the minds of the public.[/quote]

Judging by previous statements it was obvious that elprincipe was really referring to the Missile Defense System. But, yeah, I should have made that clear.
 
Star wars was a media invented term (actually a Reagan invented term probably purposefully used knowing the media would latch onto it). It was known as SDI the Strategic Deffense Initiative, and was evolved under bush, clinton, and bush as the missile defense system or the MDA. jeesh. It still seems more worthwhile than a superbowl spot telling me how important it is to fill out the Census...
 
[quote name='Backlash']The latest one that pissed me off was when Congress changed their menus to have Freedom Fries etc instead of French. Not a lot of money wasted in the scheme of things, but how pointless?

First they had to draw up the resolution and vote on it - total waste of the time that they're in session, which isn't much out of the year. Then the cost of reprinting all the menus and stuff. And the intangible cost of looking like idiots. And this definitely isn't a Republican vs Democrat issue - they all did it.[/quote]

Wow, I didn't know they actually followed through on that, haha. What a waste of money. The dumb thing is that french fries weren't even invented in France (they come from Belgium). Similarly, french toast was invented in New York or Connecticut IIRC by a guy whose last name was French. Idiocy on top of idiocy.
 
[quote name='Quackzilla'][quote name='elprincipe']Let's see how nonexistent it is when Bush deploys it in Alaska a couple weeks before the election. Not that it's going to be incredibly effective since we're still testing it. Why do you think that it's made up if they've been testing it where everyone can see? Oh, wait, I know the answer to that.[/quote]

Are you being sarcastic or are you just incredibly stupid?[/quote]

Are you talking about missile defense in general or just space-based stuff? In any case, name calling is childish and stupid in and of itself.
 
I can see changing money so it's harder to counterfeit, but marketing? Like there's a competing option; I dont know about you, but I'm fresh out of doubloons or ducats.
 
Actually, making money can be an extremely profitable business for the government - there are a whole lot of collectors out there. As long as it costs less to make the coin that the coin is worth at face value, every coin that goes into the pockets of a collector is, in a rather roundabout way, profit for the goverment.

The state quarter collection was an excellent example of this. I've read that it costs the government about 1.5 cents to make a quarter. People have been collecting the state quarters at an ungodly rate. A huge chunk of my family (not even the couple of people in my family that are actually coin collectors - we're just talking normal people who think the state quarter this is interesting) have been collecting the quarters as they've come out. Since each collection requires 50 quarters to be complete (eventually, when they're all issued), thats $12.50 of value taken out of circulation, of which it cost the goverment about $0.75 to make. If we estimate that 100,000,000 people decide to collect a set (and I consider that a low-ball figure), that's about 1.1 billion dollars in what is essentially profit for the government. I'm sure that more than covers the extra cost incured in making the quarters 'interesting' (since they had to make quarters anyway...)

And THAT'S not including mint sets. Every year now, I've purchased 7 sets of that year's state quarters for assorted members of my family (me, my sister, my parents and 3 aunts.) Each set costs something like $14.95, for 5 quarters and a plastic box. Even valuing the quarters at a full $0.25, the whole thing can't cost more than, say, $2.50 to make, essentially giving the goverment $12 profit on each set. And they're selling MILLIONS of them each and every year.

I'm willing to bet that the new nickel design is going to make the US Mint a nice tidy profit, regardless of any marketting costs they may incur...
 
[quote name='Backlash']Wasting money on, well, money:

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/040916/480/nyet26309161405&e=4&ncid=1756

Wonder how much it cost to have all the meetings regarding this, pay the artist(s) for the design, change over the presses to print this design, roll out whatever marketing campaign it'll have, etc. Gah.[/quote]


DING DING DING !!!! You get a gold star, my friend.

I forgot about that one. Remember the commercials for the new $20 bill? We need to buy TV time to tell people about the new money? Give me a freaking break already !! They could have just sent us all a letter.
 
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