Election Year Debate

[Aurielius]

While we are concerned with lobbyists the GSA is spending OUR money on end of year parties.

 

WASHINGTON — The General Services Administration investigator who revealed a wild agency spending spree said Monday he’s investigating possible bribery and kickbacks, and has already recommended criminal charges to the Justice Department. The key figure in the scandal invoked his right to remain silent at the House hearing.

 

Inspector General Brian Miller made clear that he’s not done investigating GSA current and former officials, following his lengthy report April 2 on an October 2010 Las Vegas conference that cost taxpayers $823,000.

 

One amusingly droll note is that the regional executive who hosted the Western Regions Conference, Jeffrey Neely, invoked his Fifth Amendment rights and his chair remained empty the rest of the House Oversight and Government Reform hearing.

[myrmaad]

While we are concerned with lobbyists the GSA is spending OUR money on end of year parties.

 

WASHINGTON — The General Services Administration investigator who revealed a wild agency spending spree said Monday he’s investigating possible bribery and kickbacks, and has already recommended criminal charges to the Justice Department. The key figure in the scandal invoked his right to remain silent at the House hearing.

 

Inspector General Brian Miller made clear that he’s not done investigating GSA current and former officials, following his lengthy report April 2 on an October 2010 Las Vegas conference that cost taxpayers $823,000.

 

One amusingly droll note is that the regional executive who hosted the Western Regions Conference, Jeffrey Neely, invoked his Fifth Amendment rights and his chair remained empty the rest of the House Oversight and Government Reform hearing.

 

 

This again? I don't give a ________. This is exactly on par with what the private sector business community does, why should it be so different when government agencies do business? A double standard, damned if you do, damned if you don't, and a bunch of handwringing on both sides to divert our attention from the important stuff. :rolleyes:

[Aurielius]

While we are concerned with lobbyists the GSA is spending OUR money on end of year parties.

 

WASHINGTON — The General Services Administration investigator who revealed a wild agency spending spree said Monday he’s investigating possible bribery and kickbacks, and has already recommended criminal charges to the Justice Department. The key figure in the scandal invoked his right to remain silent at the House hearing.

 

Inspector General Brian Miller made clear that he’s not done investigating GSA current and former officials, following his lengthy report April 2 on an October 2010 Las Vegas conference that cost taxpayers $823,000.

 

One amusingly droll note is that the regional executive who hosted the Western Regions Conference, Jeffrey Neely, invoked his Fifth Amendment rights and his chair remained empty the rest of the House Oversight and Government Reform hearing.

 

 

This again? I don't give a ________. This is exactly on par with what the private sector business community does, why should it be so different when government agencies do business? A double standard, damned if you do, damned if you don't, and a bunch of handwringing on both sides to divert our attention from the important stuff. :rolleyes:

The private sector spends their money this is OURS, so yeah I give a damn.

[SubjectProphet]

We need a president who'll fund our military with better equipment too. My gun jams at least five times during a fight, and it's a pain in the arse to unjam. We have great vehicles, awesome, now GIVE THE INFANTRY GOOD GUNS. The grenades I fire from my launcher sometimes don't even explode. Now, where's the use in a launcher that DOESN'T HELP YOU?

 

We also need a president who doesn't want to spend money on EVERYTHING. Parties, dinners, leaving the country to speak with other leaders, cake, REMODEL THE WHITE HOUSE, how about spend money to actually assist the country rather than destroy it bit by bit?

 

Most of tax payers money needs to go for the military funding, not for the government to spend on useless crap. What good is a country when it's very own army is outmatched on the battlefield?

[myrmaad]

 

The private sector spends their money this is OURS, so yeah I give a damn.

 

I'm not saying waste fraud and abuse doesn't happen or doesn't matter. But let's put it into perspective shall we:

 

As a good friend put it in his tweet this morning:

 

#FoxNews This morning: The Buffet rule's $50 billion is 'just a drop in the bucket'! Also, the $900,000 GSA scandal is outrageous!

[HeyYou]

5 billion per year from the buffet rule wouldn't even be a drop in the bucket......We give that much to Israel every year. And more. Iraq gets twice that. Pakistan is pretty close too...... Edited April 17, 2012 by HeyYou

[marharth]

We spend more on oil subsidies every few hours in terms of cost then the GSA scandal. And oil subsidies exist because of corporate lobbyists. So yes, we are getting worked up over lobbyists while there is a GSA scandal going on.

 

Oil subsidies cost around 4 billion every year. The whole GSA thing cost around 800,000 right? Correct me if I am wrong on those numbers.

 

The GSA scandal is obviously a bad thing, and something needs to be done about it, but don't even pretend that it is worse for tax payers then corporate lobbying.

 

Oil subsidies is just one thing that causes huge tax burdens with corporate lobbying. A number of other things do as well. All together the GSA scandal is not even in the same world as corporate lobbying in terms of cost.

 

It is completely ridiculous to say that the GSA scandal is a bigger deal then corporate lobbying.

[Arthmoor]

The GSA scandal is obviously a bad thing, and something needs to be done about it, but don't even pretend that it is worse for tax payers then corporate lobbying.

Corporate lobbying isn't paid with taxpayer dollars, the GSA mess is.

 

Don't want corporations legally allowed to lobby? Stop assessing taxes against them and they won't have any need to be represented in Congress as distinct entities.

[marharth]

The GSA scandal is obviously a bad thing, and something needs to be done about it, but don't even pretend that it is worse for tax payers then corporate lobbying.

Corporate lobbying isn't paid with taxpayer dollars, the GSA mess is.

 

Don't want corporations legally allowed to lobby? Stop assessing taxes against them and they won't have any need to be represented in Congress as distinct entities.

You missed my point.

 

Corporate lobbying causes things that are a huge burden on tax payers.

[HeyYou]

The GSA scandal is obviously a bad thing, and something needs to be done about it, but don't even pretend that it is worse for tax payers then corporate lobbying.

Corporate lobbying isn't paid with taxpayer dollars, the GSA mess is.

 

Don't want corporations legally allowed to lobby? Stop assessing taxes against them and they won't have any need to be represented in Congress as distinct entities.

 

I don't really care who lobby's, I don't have an issue with that. What I object to, is them getting PAID for it. Considering that the bulk of the lobbyists that have the most influence are ex-members of congress/senators, they are now making millions of years button-holing their buds, to get laws passed that help some special interest or other.... If that isn't influence peddling, what is?

 

Being able to basically buy whatever legislation you want is NOT what the lobbyists intended purpose was. All that does is assure that if you have enough money, you can get whatever you want passed. Doesn't matter if it is good or bad for america as a whole......

Edited April 17, 2012 by HeyYou