Julia K Cole

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 ...

The big question of the day is … What would you cut from the national debt?  My focus is on every single politician.   While I am very well aware of the other wasteful spending … my particular focus is on the politicians themselves.  Leading by example is the only way!  So to YOU Politicians ... this is what I would cut #1 Your salary!    ALL you politicians need to be forced to take a substantial pay cut until our debt is paid.   Your  yearly pay should be $24,000 with the bare minimum of benefits.  Sounds a little harsh?  Tell that to the working public who make this and less! I propose for every single politician -- from the President down to city counsel --  that you do not receive a salary for four years .  After that four years -- your yearly salary should be no more than  $24,000 -- with the minimum of benefits and no business expense whatsoever.  In fact, everything--from tr...