-
USPS: Radical Surgery Needed
May 17, 2013 | 20 comments
-
No Fisker for Your Garage
April 22, 2013 | 50 comments
-
A Breakthrough in Ukraine?
April 17, 2013 | 7 comments
-
Thatcher Passes
April 8, 2013 | 8 comments
-
Moving Ukraine’s Democracy Forward
March 13, 2013 | 8 comments
A Further Perspective
The Long, Long Sleep of Watchdogs
Where’s the inspector general when you need him?
The U.S. Department of Energy’s inspector general was sound asleep when Secretary Steven Chu and his crew of federal venture capitalists (using taxpayer money) were dishing out $500 million in 2009 to the Solyndra Corporation to make solar panels. Solyndra went bankrupt and is now out of business. Dr. Chu’s merry band also gave federal loans of various sizes to half-a-dozen other “alternative energy” companies that are now in bankruptcy or have shut down production.
It was left for the Treasury Department’s inspector general tell us the full story of the Solyndra caper. The IG has revealed that Treasury’s financial experts knew nothing of it until “about a day” before the DoE issued a press release announcing that it was approving the loan. It seems that this rushed review was driven by Vice President Biden’s schedule, for he was to appear at a ceremony at the Solyndra plant and the loan needed to be in place in order to validate his visit.
In even the short time they had it, Treasury’s financial experts raised concerns about the loan. The IG found no evidence that these had been addressed by the DoE. Solyndra’s poor debt-to-equity ratio was one of the concerns. In its final days, the Bush Administration had declined a Solyndra loan request because of its shaky financial situation.
At the DoE there is no record of an inspection by its inspector general of any of these reckless capital ventures by Dr. Chu, a physicist with no business experience.
He and his band have also thrown money at implausible electric automobile projects. One beneficiary, the Fisker Co., has been so successful that its $107,850 Karma sports car, when tested by Consumer Reports recently, conked out on a test track after going a few miles at 65 mph. CR reported, “We have owned our car for just a few days; it has less than 200 miles on its odometer.… We buy about 80 cars a year and this is the first time in memory that we have had a car that is undriveable before it finished our check-in process.” Apparently, the DoE had seen the Karma as the new car for the masses (at least those with $107,850 and a lot of faith).
Wasting money is not restricted to the Department of Energy. In the annals of egregious misuse of public funds, the General Services Administration’s October 2010 Western Regional Conference at a resort/casino dear Las Vegas ranks right at the top. Now, two years later, the GSA’s inspector general awoke to the fact it had been held at an expense of $828,000 and he investigated. He found this agency, which manages the federal government’s land and buildings, had sent 300 employees to Las Vegas for what amounts to three days of touchy-feely meetings. Included on the tab were a fortuneteller, a clown, and a $31,208 reception for the conference-goers.
A conference of any good size takes much planning, but sending several people on six planning trips to Las Vegas at a cost of $130,000 is stretching the point, to say the least. A well-run presidential campaign would send one advance person out to lay the basic plans, then do all the rest by telephone and e-mail. He or she would return just before the candidate’s visit to make sure everything was in order. Another reason for a second trip would be to work on drumming up a large crowd for the candidate’s event, if one were needed. In this case, there was no crowd to drum up. All were GSA employees.
The GSA’s Obama-appointed Administrator, Martha Johnson, took office in February 2010. Was she not told of plans for an event of this magnitude? If not, surely she must have heard about it afterword and, if so, why did she not inquire as to costs and accomplishments of it? When she took office she said ethics is “a big issue for me.” Not big enough as things turned out. Later that year she proclaimed the agency’s new security slogan, “If you see something, say something.” Apparently, no one said a word to her or the IG.
The story erupted after the IG’s report was made available. Last week, Ms. Johnson, after firing two deputies, made a hasty exit (with a shove from the White House) and thundered her outrage about the conference. The IG’s report had noted that the GSA had “followed neither federal procurement laws not its own policy on conference spending.”
Several questions remain unanswered. Why was it necessary to hold the conference in an expensive resort hotel when the GSA likely has a building suitable for such a regional conference? Why did not someone in the White House interested in covering the President’s flanks not spot this and ask questions? The conference was widely known within the government and the GSA’s internal website — seen by hundreds, if not thousands — posted photos from the party (until the end of last week).
In this case, Ms. Johnson’s slogan, “If you see something, say something,” was trumped by that old chestnut slogan, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”
About the Author
Peter Hannaford was closely associated for a number of years with the late President Reagan, beginning in the California Governor’s office. His latest book is Presidential Retreats.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (24) | Leave a comment
More Articles by Peter Hannaford
More Articles From A Further Perspective
http://spectator.org/archives/2012/04/09/the-long-long-sleep-of-watchdo
Follow us:
ADVERTISEMENT
The Spectacle Blog
Former IRS Commissioner Refused to Say That Targeting Conservative Groups is Wrong
Benjamin Brophy | 2:27PM
SPONSORED LINKS
FLASHBACK TO: 1995
-
Pope Culture
A man of faith in a godless age is hitting Americans where it hurts.
-
Why the GOP Does Not, Like, Totally Suck
Mr. and Mrs. American Spectator Reader, let P.J. O’Rourke talk sense to your kids.
-
Dames at Sea
-
In the Absence of Guns
In Britain, defending your property can get you life.
-
The Metaphysical Martini
-
Counting the Costs of Clintonism
The debacle of this president’s administration is both a cause and a symptom of the decline of American values. Unless Congress impeaches him, that decline will go on unchecked. An eminent jurist surveys the damage and assesses the chances for the recovery of our culture.
-
Chuck McHagel
It won’t take long for conservatives to scratch this presidential wannabe off their 2008 scorecard.
-
The Legacy of Old John and Mother Fresh-Roasted
-
It’s the Best Time of the Year
The American Christmas, like the songs that celebrate it, makes room for everybody under the rainbow. Is that why so many people seem to be hostile to it?
-
The Bush Crack-Up
Was the President done in by the economy, or by the politics of the economy?
Clip of the Day
ADVERTISEMENT
Pecos Pete| 4.9.12 @ 7:36AM
Fire the IGs. Defund the IGs. Seems like a good plan when the intention is to siphon off a couple of billion for your buddies, friends and relatives.
Gary B| 4.9.12 @ 7:54AM
The government inspecting itself... what a concept!
Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 4.9.12 @ 7:56AM
Our government is so corrupt I wonder if anyone can stop it.
Nick| 4.9.12 @ 12:35PM
Hey, Billy Boy, you never answered me as to why you support a candidate who has supported "thoughtcrimes", i.e., O'Romney?
Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 4.9.12 @ 7:14PM
An idiotic comment like that doesn't deserve a response, except to tell you to see a doctor and get some medications.
Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 4.9.12 @ 7:14PM
An idiotic comment like that doesn't deserve a response, except to tell you to see a doctor and get some medications.
Nick| 4.9.12 @ 7:54PM
I think it is you who needs to see a doctor, Billy. I recommend Occam's Tool.
You seem to be a little schizophrenic, with a need to repeat yourself!
Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 4.9.12 @ 8:59PM
Actually, the software did that. In your case, you repeated yourself so take your own medicine.
Nick| 4.9.12 @ 10:10PM
And, yet, it is you, Billy Boy, who decries "thoughtcrimes", i.e., hate crimes legislation, but, is a supporter of a candidate who supports these very same thougthcrimes.
How do you explain this cognitive dissonance?
Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 4.10.12 @ 4:38PM
It's not my job to explain it. If you're that concerned about something then you should explain it. How very liberal of you to ask someone else to do something you can do yourself.
T.L.P.| 4.9.12 @ 8:47AM
I have another slogan: This one's for all the Marbles.
If I wanted to Destroy this Country, from within, what would I do?
I would take over the Education System. I would cultivate young minds to believe those things, that I wish them to believe. I would drill it in to their brains that THIS COUNTRY is to blame for all that ails the world.
I would infiltrate the Media. After washing their brains, in Journalism School, I would put them in place at the Major Networks, and the Big City Papers. I would saturate the Airwaves with MY SIDE of the Story, and I would beat that Drum, ENDLESSLY, until the fools could hear it in their sleep. With a complicit Media, I could get away with anything. I could get away with everything. I could Lie, every time I opened my mouth, and no-one would call me on it.
I would use my "Friends" in the Entertainment Industry, to push my Propaganda. Things like Wind Power and Solar. Electric Cars and the Tooth Fairy. I would REWARD my Friends with MILLION$ in Subsidies (Knowing, all along, that I was running a Money Laundering Operation) and PUNISH my Enemies with Illegal Drilling Moratoriums, and Burdensome Regulations via my EPA, and my Interior Department. I would even use my State Dept. to deny my Enemies (THE PEOPLE) a Secure flow of Cheap Oil from our Neighbor to the North, thus keeping the Spigot open, to my BROTHERS, in the Middle East.
I would use my Enemies' Money, to keep my Civilian Army (Public Sector Unions) well fed, and ready. I would keep my Street Gangs ( AFL-CIO, SEIU, Teacher's Unions) well funded, as you never know when you're gonna need to fill up some Buses, and go to somebodys' Home to threaten their Family.
I would Decimate the Armed Forces. Decimate NASA. Arm Drug Cartels, in Mexico to spread Death and Chaos that I CAN USE for my own ends.
I would Sever ties with Traditional Allies, and turn a blind eye to those who wish us harm. I would tear down everything that was GOOD, and replace it with something Evil. I would make Marriage between a Man and a Women, passe'. I would infiltrate the Military with Openly Gay Men. I would teach Perversity to 5 year olds and 6 year olds. Anal Sex. Masturbation. Sex with Adults, and I would drill it in to their heads that THESE THINGS were the norm.
I would run a Justice Department for the sole purpose of Punishing my Enemies. My A.G. would Release my Intimidators, when they are caught on Tape, violating the Voting Rights Act. He would go after States who wish to Verify who's Voting in Elections, and who seek to Protect the people of their State, from an Invasion from South of the Border. Something that I would refuse to do, if I wanted to Destroy this Country from within.
I would separate the populace, like no-one has done, before. Black against White. Rich against Poor. The Young against their Parents. The Takers and the Makers.
I would set up so many barriers to Entrepreneurship, and Industry, that American Companies would have no choice, but to leave these shores. I would do everything in my power to KILL every job that I could, until only the Companies that agree to play ball with me, are left standing.
One man, and 3 Years. He has wrought so much damage, in such a short time. He is the Trans formative Leader that he promised he would be. He is Castro, and he wants 4 more years, so he can be STALIN.
Be sure that you can take care of your Family. Arm yourself, while you still can. He gave the Mexican Drug Cartels high powered automatic weapons. The man who wants to Deny us the right to own a Gun to protect our Families, gave thousands of High Powered Automatic Weapons, to the most Ruthless Murderers in the Western Hemisphere.
Think about that, come November, and remember: This one's for all the Marbles.
GOD help us.
Gary B| 4.9.12 @ 10:29AM
"GOD help us" is right, 'cause we Americans seem incapable of helping ourselves.
I recently spoke with a small business owner acquaintance of mine in California and she said her liberal friends think Obama, the quintessential anti-American, is great and they are going to vote for him again.
If they voted for a swarm of earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, fires and floods, they couldn't do more damage to our country. Who the hell are these people?
SUBVET| 4.9.12 @ 11:45AM
You ask who are these people ???
These are the 60's dope smoking do nothings that only wanted to "get along". Now their off spring are just what the lib's want some more "can't we just get along" drinking the cool-aid of life.
We the strong have to fight this with every fiber of our being just like our fore fathers.
We have to break this genetic curse in November or "our" offspring will be doomed for life.
Nick| 4.9.12 @ 12:37PM
SUBVET,
Why did you ask me for those Bible quotes, in the Cardinal Wuerl thread, if you weren't going to reply?
Can't you admit that you were mistaken?
Boar Hunter| 4.9.12 @ 12:21PM
Well done sir.
Indy| 4.9.12 @ 9:02AM
Recall early in this Adminstration when IG Walpin was fired for the waste he discovered in AmeriCorps? And then the IG budget was cut?
http://online.wsj.com/article/.....17539.html
http://dailycaller.com/2012/01.....orruption/
Perhaps this IG was intimidated?
Von Mises Jr.| 4.9.12 @ 9:57AM
Excellent point Indy. If you recall, Walpin spoke up and he was targeted by the regime as an old, incompetent kook. In fact, he had just finished a fine presentation for the regime days before that was top notch. It is just another example of how socialist will take you out by any means necessary if you try to stop their power grab and tyranny.
bobmontgomery| 4.9.12 @ 11:59AM
That is exactly the first thing that came to mind when I saw the title to this piece. In fact, I searched in vain through the entire article for mention of Walpin.
The article should be "The long sleep of John Boehner and the US Congress". Now I suppose the next thing, when the NBPP starts its race war, will be "The long sleep of the FBI", or something. The US Congress should have taken it's cue from Rush Limbaugh. He got over Barack Obama being the 'first black president' the day he took office.
Eric Rasmusen| 4.9.12 @ 10:56AM
I was hoping for an article about IG's generally--- Walpin too, etc. Please write that article. This article is good too, but it would be nice to draw it all together.
On this article: You're right to mention the lack of action by the Energy IG. What is his name and background? What are the political contributions of all the IGs? Who is the inspector general of GSA? Why did it take 2 years for him to wake up to this? (You do raise the question---good.) Why didn't any GSA employee leak this to the press? Did one threaten to, and that's why the IG is acting now?
Anthony| 4.9.12 @ 12:15PM
"Can I ge me here an Eric Holder ballot"? Go to Drudge and watch this amazing video. It exposes the frauds that Holder, Obozo, and the left are about Voter I.D.
"Hi, we're from NBC, ABC and CNN, doctored tapes?, naw, just a simple editing problem".
The left are imploding, right before our eyes, it's no wonder they want violence in the streets this summer.
Pat| 4.9.12 @ 1:16PM
Our government is adept at wasting the taxpayers’ money, but in this case “stealing” may be the more accurate verb. For the Feds, this is wind it down time on the Solyndra story – the final chapter, the epilogue, the part where the story rides off into the sunset as another of those unsolved mysteries.
We will never know exactly where the $550 million went, the cover story is bankruptcy and many sharp readers here on TAS and other Conservative websites fully realize that “bankruptcy” isn’t an explanation, it’s more the usual stonewalling cover story used whenever inquiring minds attempt to “follow the money”.
How much of this half a billion in loan dollars was siphoned off prior to filing bankruptcy? We’ll never know although bankers in the Cayman Islands could probably provide an accurate accounting – unfortunately, strict bank secrecy laws would preclude such an accounting - what a pity.
Over at Justice, the same happy ending is being story boarded for “Fast and Furious” – our government’s push for stricter gun control laws by arranging for the murders of a couple hundred Mexicans and a few Americans. What to tell the American taxpayer to permanently banish this story from the news? Will a “Series of Misjudgments by Lower Level Federal Employees” be the official conclusion? Or, perhaps, it will be “After a Thorough Investigation No Criminal Charges Will Be Filed”?
Conspiracy nuts like us perpetually kept in the dark taxpayers suspect there was much fast and furious law breaking going down, but try proving it with Congress issuing “keep quiet or else” subpoenas to witnesses. So, adios to the Solyndra and Fast and Furious stories – no laws were broken, no money was stolen – somehow we knew all along these stories would end that way.
ecouteurs dr dre | 4.10.12 @ 6:35AM
like it