Feds blow $100 billion a year on incorrect payments

Between 2002 and 2012, federal agencies spent more than half a trillion dollars ($688 billion) on payments that should never have been made. 

Every year, according to their own record-keeping, the agencies that administer major federal programs are now paying out more than $100 billion improperly, and even though they're aware of the problem, they recover only a tiny fraction for taxpayers. This adds up to huge losses for the U.S. Treasury.

In 2012 alone, the Office of Management and Budget gathered data on just 13 high-error programs in the federal government, and determined that they made a combined $101.3 billion in improper payments. To put that in perspective, that's almost $16 billion more than the highly controversial budget sequester wound up cutting from government spending in 2013.

The government doesn't get a whole lot of that money back. In July, then-Controller of the Office of Management and Budget Daniel Werfel testified in a Senate hearing that over the preceding two years, the government had recaptured only $2 billion in improper payments.

• Your taxes wasted on a $120 million parking center

To be clear, the term "improper payment" covers many problems and is not limited to out-and-out fraud. It can include payments made in error, either through the fault of the agency itself or the person claiming the payment. But what the vast majority of the instances of improper payment have in common is that they represent money that shouldn't be paid out at all leaving the Federal Treasury and not coming back.

As part of their annual financial reports, federal agencies are required to estimate the payment error rate of the programs they administer, and for some of the biggest benefits programs, the percentage of payments deemed improper reaches double digits, and tens of billions of dollars.

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Message from Michelle Langbehn: Cancer Survivor

Last week when the government re-opened, thousands of furloughed employees who were struggling to get by without a paycheck rejoiced. I celebrated for another reason -- because thousands of people like me with cancer will be able to resume treatment and clinical trials through the National Institutes of Health. 

I started a petition on Change.org when the government shut down shortly after I applied to enter a clinical trial for my cancer that was federally funded. Over 150,683 people signed -- including you -- giving a voice to people like me who were directly impacted by the shutdown. 

Thanks to you and everyone who signed, my story was highlighted by news outlets like Reuters, The Washington Post, MSNBC and the BBC. By lifting up the voices of those who were hit hardest by the government shutdown, you and I contributed to the national outrage that pressured our nation's leaders to reach a deal and reopen as quickly as possible.

When this began, I thought I would be lucky to gather a few hundred signatures. To watch my petition grow into the tens of thousands was truly humbling. Now that the government has reopened, my hope is that the cancer patients who were waiting to receive treatment from the NIH have not been compromised and are soon able to acquire the assistance they desperately need. 

I hope this episode will lead to more political cooperation and that politicians will begin to put the American people first. Thank you so much for helping my voice, and the voices of other cancer patients, be heard. 

Michelle Langbehn

Help me fight cancer and stop the shutdown

Hi!

I just signed the petition "Help me fight cancer and stop the shutdown" on Change.org.

It's important. Will you sign it too? 

Click HERE to Sign the Petition or just copy and paste the link below

Here's the link:

http://www.change.org/petitions/help-me-fight-cancer-and-stop-the-shutdown?share_id=hVlKMmATnU&utm_campaign=signature_receipt&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition

Thanks!

It's for Our Own Good -- Right?

OMG!  I wrote and posted this back on December 5, 2011!

I'm Reposting it today!  Because here we are!  Facing the same shit All Over AGAIN!

*~*~*~*~*

As many of you are already aware,  On January 1, 2012, our good ole' 100 Watt bulbs will be outlawed!  They will be considered contraband folks!  ILLEGAL! 

The good old Nanny State has come through for us once again by deeming these 100 Watt  bulbs as not being good for Mother Earth!     And as one politically correct fashioneesta stated ... "they're not very pretty!"   Of Course,  everyone knows ... the government is only looking after "our welfare" by doing this!

  They -- the Nanny Gov't , along with their politically correct watch dogs-- will be ordering us to use the more "fashionable"  Earth friendlier spiral version.  Real nice of them don't you think? 

So what if the newer version is filled with mercury!  And so what if it is going to cost millions more to "properly" dispose of them!  It's for our own good!

I mean, after all, the United States government only has our best interest at heart.  Right?

Why is it that every single time I turn around -- yet ANOTHER one of our rights is being taken away?  Doesn't that bother any of you?  That your rights are slowly being taken -- one by one by one?

Have any of you used these newer "bulbs"?  They're god-awful!  And now I have to worry about hazard waste in my home should they break?  And what kind of poison is being released while using them?  They are filled with Mercury you know! 

But the Government is only looking after the future of Mother Earth!   They only want us to have what they deem is best for us.   Right?

I mean that's why they tried their best (and are still trying by the way) to make it illegal for any of us to grow our own food!  The Government is only looking after us!  Trying their best to take care us!  Cause Heaven knows -- we're too stupid to do it for ourselves!

I mean ... buying food from the super market that has been laced with all kinds of pesticides that the FDA has approved is better than anything we could grow organically.  Consuming all those poisons serves to strengthen our immune systems.  Right?   And all those other people getting sick and dying from all that crap ... well they were going to die anyways -- of something ... eventually!  Right?    It's the survival of the fittest.  Am I right?

Remember those bottles of cough syrup you use to be able to go out and buy freely--at any time you needed them?  The government chose to enforce "Rules"  so that now we are limited in what we can get --  and only with proper I.D.!!!  All this was done in order to keep us all safe from those nasty drug labs that just keep popping up in all our neighborhoods! 

Then there are the Airport Security folks.  Bless'em!  Of course, this was only to protect us as well.  What's a little inconvenience -- just so long as we are kept safe!  Right?  I mean ... sure our elderly and children get all  felt up while that nice Muslim reading their Koran -- wearing their head to toe gear-- is allowed to get through with a smile! And that suspicious looking person carrying no luggage and looking about nervously gets a free pass.

It's all for the best!  Really!  It is!   Our government only wants what is best ... for the American people!  We wouldn't want to upset those nice Muslim folks by asking them to step aside to get groped!  Now would we?  And we would not want to upset that person sweating profusely, who paid for his ticket in cash and has no luggage!  Wouldn't want those folks to get the wrong idea about the USA.     Wouldn't want to offend anyone!

Living within the Nanny state calls for major adjustments.   We have to remember that our Government is only doing what's best for us.  Saddam Hussien tried his best to get that point across to his own people you know.   And surely all of you remember how  Adolf Hitler was only doing what was for the betterment of the Fatherland! I mean seriously!  All   those big governments of history-- both  past and present -- each of their leaders were only doing what they felt was best for the people overall!  Right?

I guess we should all be more thankful that our Government is trying to do the same for us here.  To better this country by taking away our rights, our civil liberties, etc.  Especially if those rights, civil liberties,etc. are harming us in some way.   Right?

Besides!  It's only a light bulb for crissakes!  What's one little light bulb being taken away from us gonna do?

 I mean ... after all ... it's for our own good!  Right? 
 

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