Federal management-related decisions play a prominent role in the fifth annual ‘Waste Book’ issued by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., the ranking Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
The publication lists 100 of what Coburn calls “silly, unnecessary and low priority projects” – many of which involve grants for various studies that were initiated at the request of members of Congress and who resisted proposals from Coburn and others to cancel them.
“Much like Congress, thousands of federal employees who weren’t doing their jobs properly have been sent home and paid to do nothing— many for years! Some committed crimes. Others engaged in misconduct. Collectively they brought shame and dishonor to public service. Instead of being fired, they were given paid vacations at a cost of $20 million,” the document says.
It also criticizes management of security clearance background investigations; payment of injury compensation benefits to employees who have been cleared to return to work; charges of personal goods and services on government-issued travel and purchase cards; bonuses to VA employees involved in the patient scheduling and care scandal; purchases of agency vehicles that were not needed; subsidies for employees to have gym memberships; retaliation against whistleblowers; loss of electronic devices; excess spending on IT projects; decisions to destroy valuable property, and more.
The report is here: http://www.coburn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=f9478504-be7e-4b8f-9ef8-baa0895a9579
