A Pervasive Incentive

[Loose Cannon]

Kudos to the American Legion for this info:

Even as federal agency heads howled about the dire impact of the sequester, a well known newspaper, reported on a string of eyebrow-raising expenditures by the executive branch:

$562,000 worth of artwork for the Department of Veterans Affairs.

$144,000 on toner cartridges for the Department of Agriculture, in just one day.

$178,000 on "furniture rehab" for the Coast Guard.

The end-of-year year spending frenzy is largely a function of the federal budget process' use-it-or-lose-it incentive system. "The way we budget sets it up," says Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., "because instead of being praised for not spending all your money, you get cut for not spending all your money. And so we've got a pervasive incentive in there."

As further evidence, it was reported that the federal government spent $45 billion on contracts in the last week of September, which coincides with the end of the fiscal year. "That was more than any other week- 9 percent of the year's contract spending money, spent in 2 percent of the year."

Interresting, huh?

LC

[Proudvet]

When I was active duty, our "SUPPO" Supply Officer would get with each department around the end of July each year and tell us to get a wish list of items wanted/needed before the end of fiscal year, to use up all the unapppropriated funds, so we would'nt reduced on funding the next year. You wouldn't believe the items folks would buy, furniture, pictures for the walls, trash cans, unessesary items, you name it, just to spend the money so they wouldn't have to give it back and be reduced on funding the next fiscal year. So unreal of the wastefulness.

[Navy04]

Proudvet,

I know too much of this crap. I was an Aviation Logistic Specialist in my almost 10 years. I would have to waste so much money, and work so late the last week in September. I swear the Officers and Higher Enlisted would make up ways to spend as much money as possible. I hated that time of year. Here people were starving in the US, and I was ordering Camo Golf Carts with expensive paint jobs, wheels and lift kits, WTH!