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Where should reform begin? - 5/20/2011 2:11:53 PM   
tazzygirl


Posts: 37833
Joined: 10/12/2007
Status: offline 		Since my efforts on another thread were not desired, I shall post it here.

I believe reform has to start with financial audits. No one has any idea how much waste is going on in the various departments of our government.

The largest ones, Medicaid, Medicare, Welfare, SS, IRS, Defense, Education and Transportation quickly come to mind.

The best way I can see to audit is with forensic auditors. While I realize most of these types of audits are for lawsuits, who would be better suited to actually audit these agencies?

The negative aspect would be two fold.. potential disruption of these systems while the audits are conducted.. and the price tag.

Are they worth it?

In my opinion, yes.

Any other thoughts?



< Message edited by tazzygirl -- 5/20/2011 2:12:09 PM >

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RE: Where should reform begin? - 5/20/2011 2:16:42 PM   
DomKen


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From: Chicago, IL
Status: offline 		Those organizations are audited all the time. You can find a lot of audits at he GAO website.
http://www.gao.gov/

Google can find you more done both internally and externally.

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RE: Where should reform begin? - 5/20/2011 2:17:52 PM   
tazzygirl


Posts: 37833
Joined: 10/12/2007
Status: offline 		Can we trust the government to do their own audits?

I certainly dont.

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Duchess of Dissent 1
Dont judge me because I sin differently than you.
If you want it sugar coated, dont ask me what i think! It would violate TOS.

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RE: Where should reform begin? - 5/20/2011 2:19:34 PM   
DomKen


Posts: 19457
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From: Chicago, IL
Status: offline 		GAO is as independent as they come. It is under Congress not the Executive branch for starters. Also many of the audits it performs are done by private accountants.

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RE: Where should reform begin? - 5/20/2011 2:44:54 PM   
tazzygirl


Posts: 37833
Joined: 10/12/2007
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: DomKen

GAO is as independent as they come. It is under Congress not the Executive branch for starters. Also many of the audits it performs are done by private accountants.


I peeked at your age. Do you recall the year they did the christmas tree for the government, with 640 dollar toilet seat? Those were the prices they were paying under government contracts.

Ronald Reagan flipped his lid... and demanded Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger.get to the bottom of it. Instead, he defended the prices. Which is why Weinberger had a toilet seat around his neck any time the Washington post published a pic of him.






Considering the GAO got its start in 1921, I really have trouble trusting them. 640 for a toilet seat, 7500 for a coffee machine... over 400 for a claw hammer....

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by tazzygirl -- 5/20/2011 2:48:41 PM >

_____________________________

Telling me to take Midol wont help your butthurt.
RIP, my demon-child 5-16-11
Duchess of Dissent 1
Dont judge me because I sin differently than you.
If you want it sugar coated, dont ask me what i think! It would violate TOS.

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RE: Where should reform begin? - 5/20/2011 3:05:00 PM   
juliaoceania


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From: Somewhere Over the Rainbow
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quote:

ORIGINAL: tazzygirl

Can we trust the government to do their own audits?

I certainly dont.



I do, the GAO has very little pull over what we actually do about our audits, they are basically a bunch of guys who wear pocket protectors, and are really good at math.

It was probably due to the GAO that we even knew about those wastes.... did you think knowledge of them just fell out of the sky?

The GAO tabulates, the branches of government use this information as they see fit. Good reporters get data from them, and this is why an independent press is so important, because without an independent press we do not know jack squat about reports generated by the GAO

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RE: Where should reform begin? - 5/20/2011 3:08:14 PM   
juliaoceania


Posts: 21383
Joined: 4/19/2006
From: Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Status: offline 		About GAO

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent, nonpartisan agency that works for Congress. Often called the "congressional watchdog," GAO investigates how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars. The head of GAO, the Comptroller General of the United States, is appointed to a 15-year term by the President from a slate of candidates Congress proposes. Gene L. Dodaro became Acting Comptroller General of the United States on March 13, 2008, succeeding David M. Walker, who appointed him upon resigning. Gene L. Dodaro became Comptroller General of the United States and head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) on December 22, 2010, when he was confirmed by the United States Senate. He was nominated by President Obama in September of 2010 and had been serving as Acting Comptroller General since March of 2008.
http://www.gao.gov/about/

Peer Review
Every 3 years, independent organizations perform a peer review of GAO’s system of quality control for work done under generally accepted government auditing standards to determine whether it is suitably designed and operating effectively. The peer review includes a review of audit documentation, tests of functional areas, and staff interviews. The peer reviewers brief the Executive Committee, management, and staff members. An international team from supreme audit institutions performs the peer review of performance audits. An international certified public accounting firm conducts the peer review of financial audit engagements.

http://www.gao.gov/about/review.html

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RE: Where should reform begin? - 5/20/2011 3:16:17 PM   
willbeurdaddy


Posts: 11894
Joined: 4/8/2006
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quote:

ORIGINAL: tazzygirl

quote:

ORIGINAL: DomKen

GAO is as independent as they come. It is under Congress not the Executive branch for starters. Also many of the audits it performs are done by private accountants.


I peeked at your age. Do you recall the year they did the christmas tree for the government, with 640 dollar toilet seat? Those were the prices they were paying under government contracts.

Ronald Reagan flipped his lid... and demanded Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger.get to the bottom of it. Instead, he defended the prices. Which is why Weinberger had a toilet seat around his neck any time the Washington post published a pic of him.






Considering the GAO got its start in 1921, I really have trouble trusting them. 640 for a toilet seat, 7500 for a coffee machine... over 400 for a claw hammer....


And the prices were clearly defendable, if you understand how government contracts get costed. Furthermore, the GAO doesnt audit defense contracts. Thats done by the DCAA and the DLA., the agencies that write and approve the contracts in the first palce.

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RE: Where should reform begin? - 5/20/2011 3:25:26 PM   
Fellow


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Status: offline 		Reform should start with establishing a well-armed Reform Party.

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RE: Where should reform begin? - 5/20/2011 3:26:06 PM   
hlen5


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Status: offline 		Tazzy, I think auditing is a great idea, but doesn't that just ensure x dollars went to YZ fund? We need to comb through YZ fund to see what fat is there.

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RE: Where should reform begin? - 5/20/2011 3:26:47 PM   
juliaoceania


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From: Somewhere Over the Rainbow
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Fellow

Reform should start with establishing a well-armed Reform Party.



I think it should start by reforming the party system, period... publicly funded campaigns would be nice

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RE: Where should reform begin? - 5/20/2011 3:33:24 PM   
Hippiekinkster


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From: Liechtenstein
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: juliaoceania


quote:

ORIGINAL: Fellow

Reform should start with establishing a well-armed Reform Party.



I think it should start by reforming the party system, period... publicly funded campaigns would be nice

Exactly. And since our elected sycophants will never reform themselves, we the People need to force the issue with a Constitutional amendment.

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RE: Where should reform begin? - 5/20/2011 3:35:24 PM   
MrRodgers


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Joined: 7/30/2005
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quote:

ORIGINAL: DomKen
Those organizations are audited all the time. You can find a lot of audits at he GAO website.
http://www.gao.gov/

Google can find you more done both internally and externally.

Well the real audits that need be done...will never be done. The Defense dept., CIA, the federal reserve.

WR Grace, the founder of WR Grace Chemical headed something called...The Grace Commission. This was way back in the 80's when Reagan commissioned them to find waste, fraud & abuse...we could save billions.

Grace was on the old PBS program Firing Line with the late B. Buckley Jr. and said neither the Pentagon or the CIA would even let them into the building.

< Message edited by MrRodgers -- 5/20/2011 3:51:39 PM >

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RE: Where should reform begin? - 5/20/2011 3:36:22 PM   
willbeurdaddy


Posts: 11894
Joined: 4/8/2006
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Hippiekinkster


quote:

ORIGINAL: juliaoceania


quote:

ORIGINAL: Fellow

Reform should start with establishing a well-armed Reform Party.



I think it should start by reforming the party system, period... publicly funded campaigns would be nice

Exactly. And since our elected sycophants will never reform themselves, we the People need to force the issue with a Constitutional amendment.


Just a reminder that it was Obama who broke the pledge to accept public funding and the limits that went with it. Arguably he would not have been elected without the extra money.

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RE: Where should reform begin? - 5/20/2011 3:37:10 PM   
Real0ne


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Joined: 10/25/2004
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: DomKen

Those organizations are audited all the time. You can find a lot of audits at he GAO website.
http://www.gao.gov/

Google can find you more done both internally and externally.



where is the federal reserve, the un, the imf the bank of england, how about switzerland, after all financial is global.

I dont even see the federal reserve in there ken, maybe you can help me find it?


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RE: Where should reform begin? - 5/20/2011 3:38:23 PM   
Real0ne


Posts: 21189
Joined: 10/25/2004
Status: offline 		hackers and backdoor action is expensive

_____________________________

"We the Borg" of the us imperialists....resistance is futile

Democracy; The 'People' voted on 'which' amendment?

Yesterdays tinfoil is today's reality!

"No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session

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RE: Where should reform begin? - 5/20/2011 3:47:13 PM   
juliaoceania


Posts: 21383
Joined: 4/19/2006
From: Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Status: offline
quote:

Just a reminder that it was Obama who broke the pledge to accept public funding and the limits that went with it. Arguably he would not have been elected without the extra money.


And this is meaningful how? Like it is a real threat that we might have a real public servant and not someone who is just a continuation of Bush?

_____________________________

Once you label me, you negate me ~ Soren Kierkegaard

Reality has a well known Liberal Bias ~ Stephen Colbert

Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people. Eleanor Roosevelt

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RE: Where should reform begin? - 5/20/2011 3:52:40 PM   
tazzygirl


Posts: 37833
Joined: 10/12/2007
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Fellow

Reform should start with establishing a well-armed Reform Party.


We get a Reform party... who is to say it wont be filled with those who dont like the other two, but want to line their own pockets?

_____________________________

Telling me to take Midol wont help your butthurt.
RIP, my demon-child 5-16-11
Duchess of Dissent 1
Dont judge me because I sin differently than you.
If you want it sugar coated, dont ask me what i think! It would violate TOS.

(in reply to Fellow)
Profile   Post #: 18
RE: Where should reform begin? - 5/20/2011 3:53:41 PM   
tazzygirl


Posts: 37833
Joined: 10/12/2007
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: hlen5

Tazzy, I think auditing is a great idea, but doesn't that just ensure x dollars went to YZ fund? We need to comb through YZ fund to see what fat is there.


Thats why i suggested a forsensics audit... it does comb through to see where money went.

_____________________________

Telling me to take Midol wont help your butthurt.
RIP, my demon-child 5-16-11
Duchess of Dissent 1
Dont judge me because I sin differently than you.
If you want it sugar coated, dont ask me what i think! It would violate TOS.

(in reply to hlen5)
Profile   Post #: 19
RE: Where should reform begin? - 5/20/2011 3:55:06 PM   
MrRodgers


Posts: 10542
Joined: 7/30/2005
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: willbeurdaddy

quote:

ORIGINAL: Hippiekinkster

quote:

ORIGINAL: juliaoceania

quote:

ORIGINAL: Fellow

Reform should start with establishing a well-armed Reform Party.

I think it should start by reforming the party system, period... publicly funded campaigns would be nice

Exactly. And since our elected sycophants will never reform themselves, we the People need to force the issue with a Constitutional amendment.

Just a reminder that it was Obama who broke the pledge to accept public funding and the limits that went with it. Arguably he would not have been elected without the extra money.

...and nobody had any right to expect him not to accept any money he could. The right loves to ask the left why they don't fall on their own swords...to make any protest. Funny, if it wasn't so ridiculous.

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