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 ...

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...

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!

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!...