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Attacking waste and fraud
Obama intends to crack down on improper expenditures that cost taxpayers
Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009 | 2:08 a.m.
It is maddening enough when you learn that 5 percent of federal spending is improper, with improper in a lot of cases meaning fraudulent. It is even worse when you hear not the percentage of improper spending, but the actual dollar amount. A new federal report cites that number for the federal fiscal year that ended Sept. 30 — more than $98 billion.
Annual losses of this magnitude have been going on for some time. Putting them in perspective, they would more than pay for the 10-year health care reform bill unveiled this week by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Attempts to reduce the losses have been undertaken, but none has really worked.
It is now up to President Barack Obama to take a crack at the problem, and he is intending to do just that. Certainly, it is inexcusable to lose that much money, especially in a time of record budget deficits and soaring national debt.
Fraudulent claims that people send to Medicare and the Social Security Administration are responsible for the greatest share of improperly spent federal money.
“Every dollar that goes to the wrong recipient ... is a dollar not available to help an unemployed worker, or to invest in education or the key priorities of the administration,” Office of Management and Budget director Peter Orszag told reporters this week.
President Obama is expected to sign an executive order in the coming days that will authorize a crackdown on these abuses, according to the Associated Press. Government agencies will be ordered to reduce waste and fraud through better accounting and enforcement. If agencies do not succeed within two years, they will have to directly present a plan to the budget office on how they will succeed in the future.
The AP also reported that the administration will seek to impose penalties on contractors who receive overpayments and do not return the money.
Losses through waste and fraud must be strongly addressed. We hope Obama succeeds where other presidents have failed.
Discussion: 16 comments so far…
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President Obama is expected to sign an executive order that will authorize a crackdown on abuse. Government agencies will be ordered to reduce waste and fraud.
Now that is HOPE you can believe in.
Just sign an order.
Lets start with the Stimulus bill, TARP, and Recovery.gov
Larry, I think it's time to roll out that holiday classic song about Obama.
Fellow Idiots - This is really old news, but under our terrific new President Obama things may get a lot better. Regulation perhaps will return to our governmental agencies and we the people will gain. Starting, of course, with the SEC and then over and into the remaining ones. A lot must be sorted out after the CriminalBush devestation which still remains with us in such horrific depth. Less than a year can't cover the reversals needed to restore this nation to what it was at one time. Obama is making progress, however, and must be supported in every way possible. Social Security has to be isolated and immunized from all Republicans who have only one purpose in life ... take from the poor and middleclass and funnel to Wall Street and thier friends in high places, making suckers of us all. That's only one example of thousands that must be looked at. FAA is yet another, that under CriminalBush became a functioning branch of the airlines. I can't go into it all, I have some running to do and some fruits and oatmeal to eat, and I must clean out my ashtray, stop at the liquor store for some vodka and Cuban Rum, but certainly, a level head can easily see what it is I am crowing about. Give the love a chance. Give it to Vice President Biden, he's a great Senator, just the opposite of HonestEngine the oath violator, cover-upper and briber to keep quiet about affairs guy. Socialism for the rick and capitalism for the poor, is that what he said recently? I couldn't agree more. Hey, send back your Social Security checks, then, and file a form to refuse your Medicare, too. Okay? Stand for what you seem to espouse as Republicans and conservatives. No comparison, and I will include Reid in this. Thank You.
Ugghhh, you guys just don't want to admit that mr. obama is a big part of this problem.
He needs to reward Goldman Sachs for making him the man he is and he has been doing just that.
Goldman Sachs = number one priority
American People = whatever we have left over
Why does fosimmons always starts his post with Fellow idiots? Maybe simpletons would be more better. I agree with one thing he said-liquor store.
Finally. Fraud and abuse will be eliminated. Why didn't someone thing of issue an order for fraud to disappear before.
This is brilliant. When the President that brought us ACORN and the Stimulus plan issues an order for fraud to go away I am sure it will. Let's put Joe in charge of enforcing it.
Sunlizard: Maybe someday you will understand that you would have been selling apples on a street corner today if it weren't for the economic actions that Bush began, and Obama, realizing that there was no other choice, followed up on.
The stock market was at approximately 6,600 after Bush left office and is now pushing 11,000. Get off the stupid anti-Obama bandwagon and look where we are today. The initiatives the President has chosen are turning the country around. His next moves should be more regulation of our financial institutions and the dismantling of companies that are "too big to fail."
They're going to need to make room on Mt. Rushmore if this President keeps going the way he is.
A career politician from Chicago is going to eliminate fraud, waste, an abuse in the federal government! Wasn't Obama a recipient of a fraudulent home loan from Rezko?
Willie: are you one of the acolytes that parade around Walmart wearing an Obama shirt?
Not allowed to wear my Obama shirt during working hours. I'm a greeter.
Speaking of Harry Reid, the Las Vegas Sun has been quite the censor lately, deleting comments about him or not allowing comments at all.
I realize that the Sun is very much in love with Harry Reid, but censoring opposing viewpoints is not what journalists are supposed to do. Of course calling the Sun's writers journalists is a bit of a stretch for a newspaper that exists only as an insert inside another newspaper.
Why are'nt there any advertisements in the Sun? The only ads I see are the one's that tell me how wonderful Reid is.
Fraud, theft and abuse are what government specializes in.
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The Sun would have us believe that Obama is the solution when his actions for 10 months prove he is a big part of the problem. More Kool-aid, please.
fosimmons - A quote from you - "Obama is making progress, however, and must be supported in every way possible."
Please feel free to enumerate his progress. Unemployment? Nope. Nationalize a few car companies and hand them over to the unions? Nope. Enormous increase to our deficit through a pork-laden stimulus plan? Nope.
Seriously, you seem convinced that Obama is a big improvement over Bush. Please elaborate.
Elaborate? I wanna expectorate!