A ‘significant misstep’ You think?
The lead on this Washington Post story about the resignation of the General Services Administration chief sums up an outrage that goes on paragraph after paragraph making you wonder why people think they can get away with such outrageous spending.
The chief of the General Services Administration resigned, two of her top deputies were fired and four managers were placed on leave Monday amid reports of lavish spending at a conference off the Las Vegas Strip that featured a clown, a mind reader and a $31,208 reception.
Administrator Martha N. Johnson, in her resignation letter, acknowledged a “significant misstep” at the agency that manages real estate for the federal government. “Taxpayer dollars were squandered,” she wrote. At the start of her tenure in February 2010 she called ethics “a big issue for me.”
A misstep? Misstep is a slight trip, something one can hope to recover from. This is agency self-annihilation.
No need to hire a mind reader to decipher the tea leaves on this one.
Further along in the story, there’s this:
GSA spokesman Greg Mecher said the agency “is appalled’’ by the inspector general’s findings and will consider disciplinary action against other employees if it is warranted. He pledged fast changes to accounting procedures and increased oversight over conference planners and contractors. Employees will be required to take mandatory training in conference planning. Travel budgets for several regional offices have been reduced, and future “Western Region” conferences have been canceled.
Mandatory training in conference planning? Wonder where that’ll take place.
April 3, 2012 - 12:04 PM
GSA spokesman Greg Mecher said the agency “is appalled” to find gambling in this casino.
How often, even in blatant cinematic splashes of naked irony can people still call this “a significant misstep” and not be prosecuted? Is there no law against stupidity, perfidy and ruthless ignorant waste of tax dollars? I am so sick of seeing this stuff over and over and over. Is there no end to it?
With apologies to 30 Rock, fine Kenneth Parcell, “I’ll just go ahead and tell y’all about my daily schedule if that’s okay! I wake up and have a bowl of Oat Bran, without preservatives. Then I will call mother, and ask her how to re wire my chimney; then she will call me a dillard and tell me there’s no wires in my chimney, but I swear I can see them!”
Obviously they think we are exactly as stupid as we look. I am so relieved that NOW someone will be guarding against abuses. This is why people hate government and why it does not matter who is in charge. People take advantage and always assume whatever advantage they take is their due.
http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0034005/bio
But we can’t cut spending..there’s just nothing to cut.
And then you read about this….
And in this environment, the left cries for higher taxrates. Need more “skin in the game.”
Anyone that works with the public on a regular basis will tell you that the majority of folks are truly rule 8′s: “Too dumb to be alive.” It has reached epidemic proportions at this point.
Not saying the Government (or anyone else) should be allowed to take advantage of this situation. But it is SO easy.