Is President Obama Doing Well Reducing Federal Waste?

Is President Obama making good progress on reducing waste in our Federal Government?

I don't know, is my best answer.

On the heels of the ABC story revealing the Department of Transportation's around the world junkets to observe/study other Countries highways, I wanted to dig a tad deeper on this topic. Perhaps I gave President Obama a rougher ride than he deserved.

The Transportation trips have been suspended effective immediately. That's good.

Ten days ago, this Administration announced "another" taskforce/oversight board to work with Government agencies to increase the effort to identify and reduce waste at the Federal level. I'm leery, yet hopeful of this. The last time the WH created a special group to address a specific problem it was the Simpson Bowles Commission which after months of meetings and hearings, was largely ignored by the President. Talk about waste?

There has been good progress in Medicare and Medicaid fraud since Obama took office. The selling of out of service government buildings is another sensible effort. Same thing with the stopping of the printing of the Federal Register, which is available on line. The Administration claims they've realized 33 Billion in savings this year already, with more savings in sight.

I should add that we're spending two billion dollars a week in Afghanistan, which by the time we're done in a few more years, will provide an additional 100 Billion in savings, over 137 Billion in all. That's a nice chunk. (137 Billion would also cover the cost of almost 10 million families of four, health insurance for a year.) (137B/14K = 9.79M)

Ok, so Obama hasn't done nothing, for sure. He's taken some steps towards an obvious goal of reducing waste. My complaint is that they missed a rather big juicy one in the Transportation trips that makes his Administration look silly. To have a story like that come out shortly after announcing a new waste task force looks ridiculous. For some perspective, I went back and reviewed his first two State Of The Union speeches. Since it seems to be in fashion to count how many times the President says a certain word these days, I search for the word "waste."

In both speeches combined, President Obama said the word "waste" a single time. Once.

I know many readers are thinking if we shut down or at least pared back a few dozen agencies, THAT would save money as well. For better or worse, such moves would save money up front. While many Conservatives view the EPA as pure waste, many people of both sides of the aisle disagree and feel the Agency is on a worthwhile mission. Budget cuts don't necessarily equal a reduction in waste. Look at the Gulf oil spill. Regulations/Gov't. oversight was reduced, which saved some small amount of money in the short term only to be dwarfed in spending in the Gulf crisis costs.

The Federal Government needs to follow through on this Commission and "wow" us with their plans to reduce waste. You can't switch to a cheaper toilet paper in the Capital and expect us to get all misty eyed.

On the other hand, now is not a time to be penny wise and pound foolish...


Sources:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/06/13/executive-order-delivering-efficient-effective-and-accountable-governmen

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Commission_on_Fiscal_Responsibility_and_Reform

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/13/obama-campaign-to-cut-waste_n_875809.html

http://charter.net/news/read.php?id=17061306&ps=1017&srce=morenews_class&action=2&lang=en

http://money.cnn.com/2011/05/04/news/economy/obama_federal_property/index.htm