CR Hell - The Federal Budget

Glenn Quagmire

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Apr 30, 2012
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http://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2015/10/congress-federal-budget-continuing-resolution-000270

Very in-depth article on how bad it is to run the government with continuing resolutions.


"Under the rules of a CR, federal agencies cant recruit or hire new staff; grants to states and local agencies are delayed. New programs cant begin. And if this all sounds heartening to the less government is better crowd, there are special penalties for them as well. Millions of taxpayer dollars get wasted from the accumulated inefficiencies; thousands of paid work hours are squandered planning for budget scenarios that dont end up happening. And dead-weight programs that departments want to cutyes, this really happens in governmentcant be cut. Under a CR, you could literally go to jail for saving taxpayer money."

"Normally the government can save by buying in bulk; under an appropriations bill lasting a full fiscal year, agencies can enter into new contracts or extend their options on existing agreements. This helps them lock in discounts and exploit the governments purchasing power.

"Not under a CR, especially a short one that lasts only a couple of weeks or months. Instead of paying up front for multiple big-ticket items such as fighter jets, electronic baggage screeners or medical services for a federal prison, the government is limited to shorter-term orders that come with higher price tags. Government workers waste time having to fill out repetitive contracts reflecting each short burst of funding they get under a CR."

"Several budget veterans told me that they welcome federal departments being more mindful of their spending habits. Thats a mantra that permeates both Democratic and Republican administrations. But a competing refrain boiled down to this: Operating during a CR, or under the perpetual threat of one, leads to hesitant, backward-looking thinking that would never be duplicated in the business world."

"Unquestionably, it causes [government] deep headaches trying to plan, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers, a Kentucky Republican, told me. Thats the case we try to make to our membership here. The CR is the worst possible way to do business. Obviously, thats not carried the day."

Very short-sighted. And for all of you who think that this is "less government", you are not paying attention.
 
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I know weird isnt it? Its only money we don't have....and have to borrow.
 
The one that's not paying attention is you my friend.
 
fyi...the "government" never shuts down.
 
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It is clear that you failed to read, or comprehend, the article. I expected you to jump on this with some inane comment.

You came through right on cue.
 
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To simplify:

Let's say I know you will use 30 rolls of toilet paper this month. A case of 30 costs $10. Single rolls are $1 each.

Instead of giving you $10 to buy a case of 30, I require you to come back to me each day to ask for more money.

Each time you ask, I give you $1 to buy one roll, for the next 30 days.

Now we have tripled our cost for the product, but also significantly increased the cost to purchase it in travel, accounting, etc.

Makes great sense, doesn't it?

While making the more prudent purchase, we should continue to look for ways to reduce our consumption of the product.
 
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Glenn Quagmire said:
To simplify:

Let's say I know you will use 30 rolls of toilet paper this month. A case of 30 costs $10. Single rolls are $1 each.

Instead of giving you $10 to buy a case of 30, I require you to come back to me each day to ask for more money.

Each time you ask, I give you $1 to buy one roll, for the next 30 days.

Now we have tripled our cost for the product, but also significantly increased the cost to purchase it in travel, accounting, etc.

Makes great sense, doesn't it?

While making the more prudent purchase, we should continue to look for ways to reduce our consumption of the product.
 
 
He won't understand your analogy.  
 
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Glenn Quagmire said:
I tried to make it so simple that maybe even you would get it. Evidently not.

You must be too distracted watching reruns of Hillary testifying.
 
Maybe they should ask what happen to the 6 billion that disappeared at the state department under HRC for a start.
 
No im not going to shed a tear because the gov is running out of money.......at the levels they waste to ineptitude, fraud, waste, etc...
 
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You clearly do not understand what this thread is about.

Nobody bit on your Hillary flame in the Hillary thread. Try it again over there.
 
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Glenn Quagmire said:
You clearly do not understand what this thread is about.

Nobody bit on your Hillary flame in the Hillary thread. Try it again over there.
 
Oh i understand fully the pearl clutching you're having over gov spending.
 
Seems to me liberals were screaming about the spending/debt under Booosh, but not so much under Obama.
 
So theres that....lol
 
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Glenn Quagmire said:
To simplify:

Let's say I know you will use 30 rolls of toilet paper this month. A case of 30 costs $10. Single rolls are $1 each.

Instead of giving you $10 to buy a case of 30, I require you to come back to me each day to ask for more money.

Each time you ask, I give you $1 to buy one roll, for the next 30 days.

Now we have tripled our cost for the product, but also significantly increased the cost to purchase it in travel, accounting, etc.

Makes great sense, doesn't it?

While making the more prudent purchase, we should continue to look for ways to reduce our consumption of the product.
 
If you really want to get your blood boiling look at the amount of money the DOD wastes.  The examples are numerous but here are some of my favorites.  The hundreds of billions over budget JSF program.  An aircraft that some have doubts would fair well in a dogfight.  The $5 billion the army spent on on new cammies only to find that actually made you stand out on the battlefield.  
 
And my all time personal favorite the camouflage uniforms the Navy came out with that are not flame retardant.  The Navy's response?  To quote an admiral  "We realize that nylon does not react well to flame, but again, there was no requirement for a fire-resistant uniform in a working environment."  So the DOD spent god knows how much money on a uniform that's not flame retardant.  Anyone whose been in the Navy knows a ship at sea is a fire waiting to happen.
 
You forgot to mention the procurement and tracking issues throughout the DoD.  They have parts for crap they do not even use anymore.  There is one report that mentions a stash of parts that are used on average about 10 times a year, they have a supply for 30 years, well beyond the life expectancy of the item that the part is used for.   Due to the antiquated computers, poor account management and lack of communication between the various branches the amount of money wasted by the DoD is staggering.  Couple that with all the projects like the ones above and the waste goes into the hundreds of billions of dollars.
 
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Glenn Quagmire said:
To simplify:

Let's say I know you will use 30 rolls of toilet paper this month. A case of 30 costs $10. Single rolls are $1 each.

Instead of giving you $10 to buy a case of 30, I require you to come back to me each day to ask for more money.

Each time you ask, I give you $1 to buy one roll, for the next 30 days.

Now we have tripled our cost for the product, but also significantly increased the cost to purchase it in travel, accounting, etc.

Makes great sense, doesn't it?

While making the more prudent purchase, we should continue to look for ways to reduce our consumption of the product.
You are talking toilet paper to some one who wipes with his hands?
 
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