Wastebook 2010: Sprucing Up Apartments…Before They Are Torn Down
by PubliusIn case you’re filled with too much holiday cheer this Christmas season, the latest edition of Sen. Tom Coburn’s “Wastebook”, chronicling wasteful federal spending, is now available. You might just want to put an extra shot in the egg nog and take a look. The dollar amounts aren’t always shocking, but the blatant waste of taxpayers’ money is. Number 2 on the list:
The city of Shreveport, Louisiana misspent $1.5 million in stimulus funds on mold remediation for a housing complex it was considering for demolition, according to a federal audit.
To obtain the stimulus money, the city‘s housing authority promised the federal government it would spend the money on improving a number of low-income homes it managed. Those projects included a mere $100,000 for combating mold and mildew at an apartment complex named Wilkinson Terrace.
More than ten months after awarding the grant to Shreveport, officials from the Department of Housing and Urban Development noticed the city had failed to spend most of the money. Under the rules of the stimulus, the money was to have been spent within one year. The agency reminded Shreveport that the funds needed to be put to work, or they would be rescinded.
In the span of a few weeks, Shreveport officials cut contracts worth over $1.5 million for mold remediation at Wilkinson Terrace – fifteen times what they told the feds they would spend, and much more than a site facing possible demolition likely deserved.
As the HUD Inspector General noted in an audit of the troubled grant, ―if the Authority‘s ultimate plan was to demolish the Wilkinson Terrace site in the next few years, the prudency of its decision. . . should be further questioned.
What‘s more, when the IG‘s investigators examined Wilkinson Terrace, it found the contractors had failed to do the work properly. ―[T]he inspected units had what appeared to be pest excrement caked on surfaces that were to have been cleaned and disinfected,‖ the IG wrote.
The audit concluded that Shreveport should return over $1.1 million in misspent federal funds. The city disputes the IG‘s findings.
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23 Comments
I know some buildings I'd like to see demolished for misspending our money.
see what happens when free money flies around…no one gives a sh&t
How dumb does it have to get before we quit seeing fiascos like this occur?
Of course, who and what will we have to laugh at if stupidity could be fixed?
But, if I had extra money in my pocket, I could buy someone to laugh at.
That sure is a fine system we have for managing our government's money.
Where can I get one?
Oh my. more taxpayer money given away by Obama and his clan wasted. The incompetence of Obama's Government is reaches new peaks every day. Why has this idiot remained in office ? How many more billions must be wasted before the people wake up.
The worst thing is the lame duck pigs in Congress are still throwing money away. The frustration level of the people is reaching boiling point.
The idiots in Louisiana should be jailed for this malfeasance. Think of what good this money would have done if in the hands of the right people.
And I know some people who need to watch it happen.
From the inside.
This is what happens under 3rd world governments.
In Banana Republics, regulations are only enforced on middle-class citizens and the rest (poor and rich) are ignored by the bureaucracy and regulators.
Maybe I missed it, but I couldn't find anything on Coburn's website that said what he was going to do about it. "Chronicling" government waste doesn't quite cut it (pun intended).
The "administration" doesn't give a rat's behind… They don't care how our $$$ is misspent. All they care is that they prevented hard working Americans from keeping their own money and that they gave our money to someone who could use it better than we could… They're ALL crooks and should ALL be sent to jail for violating their oath of office!
The money always ends up in politicians pockets one way or the other. And no one pays the price politicly or legally.
Seems like the House that needs to be done away with is the House of Representatives.
Time to just start over…. learn the lessons of the past…. and get it right this time.
Was that Rahm Emmanuel's Chicago apartment that had pest excrement caked on surfaces? If demolition is the better choice don't spend a bunch, just get Bill Ayers to blow the thing up
You gotta like the Gov't oversight. Just look back to the California ordeal where the mayor and city officials where making big salaries funded by Fed Gov't "Charter Cities" program, (what ever that means). You would expect that type stuff to be under tight Fed. review, but hell no, after all, it comes from an unlimited supply. Although this is nothing compared to Pigford and all those things we will never hear about.
I'm of the opinion that some people that we entrust with the public good are not too smart…
Doing what Obama's Keynesian stimulus does best…WASTE!
Not so. They're in a position to thieve!
This comment is a little off topic but it sure seems like Louisiana is always wanting federal money for a whole lot of low income people and projects. I think we should round up all Louisiana's low income folk and ship them on down to Haiti, kind of mass all the beggars in one place. Sort of an unofficial tin cup nation if you will.
I find it interesting also that the administration (for lack of a better word, or non profane word) seems to dole a whole lot of money out to places with huge black populations. I have heard very little about any significant funds being appropriated here in Idaho. We have mold in condemned buildings too.
Here is a thought: Why do we [voters] put up with the concept of a "Lame Duck" Session of Congress – or any other government body?
LAME DUCK? MORE LIKE LAME BRAINED!
Here is something that has been in my “craw” for a long time – and NOBODY talks about it!!
I have never understood WHY we as voters have put up with the concept of a “lame duck” politician, legislative body or session.
There should be no such thing as a "lame duck" session of Congress or any governing Body.
Why do we put up with a system that gives a group of losing politicians [of EITHER party] the power to ram any legislative agenda, popular or not, though and make it law of the land after losing an election? This is nuts.
The losing party [or politician] has LOST and should have no more say so over anything.
THEY NO LONGER REPRESENT THE PEOPLE.
That's exactly why our fed gov should NEVER put itself in the position to redistribute ANY $$$. Its another example of how it takes too much of our $$$ from us. If it took less $$$ (say 10% less), our states could increase their state taxes by say 4%… and the states would be able to fund all their own projects without the feds!
I'm not an advocate for these tax #s… just using an example. I'm all for Fair OR flat tax. Minimum to the feds and I'm ok with a little more for the states. States taxes will remain low in either of these tax systems because we the people would have a choise as to which state to live in and can move to low tax states.
Well now you got me thinking about two subjects that I often rant about. First taxes, I agree about a flat tax that could never be more than 15% of income, We should only be taxed for income on either a state or federal basis but never both and if not income then sales is the only other viable option. As it is now we get taxed on income both by the feds and state, sales, property, gasoline, social security, alcohol, tobacco, an extra tax on soda is being pushed here, and probably taxed a few more ways that slip my mind at the moment not to mention all the extra fees for things like camping on public land, boat/atv licenses, auto license and registration, parking, etc. etc. etc.. I could probably write for hours thinking of other taxes and fees but I think my point is clear.
Second I actually think the federal government should be dissolved and each state runs itself so just like you mention if you don't like one state you can move to another. And the only real national connection between states should be for military and national security. As it stands now though the Federal government is too large, too corrupt and seems each election (which is rigged most of the times) is decided by our courts instead of voters. I'm not saying I'd have liked Al Gore as president but he did win the popular vote and if it was too close to call there should have been a run off election but it shouldn't have been put in the hands of appointed judges.
All these problems to me add up to a system that can never be changed to guarantee the people a truly non fraudulent government that actually represents the tax paying, legal citizens of the United States.
And if none of that works just give control back to the Native Americans, I don't see how they could make it any worse right now (that one was sort of a joke). If things continue I'm guessing the government will put a meter on every toilet in America so each time you flush you have to pay a tax on it.
I agree with you 100%. I think its very unlikely we will get t the ideal tax situation you and I want though. I was just using the above as an example… I'd rather pay State taxes and no (or less) Fed taxes…
I realized it was an example and so were all my thoughts in my above comment. I think it's typical for people that can have rationalized thoughts to contemplate new and fair ideas. Like I said you got me going on two topics that can get me ranting.
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