Post 5: Streamlining Federal Programs

I am a waste not, want not type of girl so learning about all of the waste in our government really frustrates me.  The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is a non-partisan agency known as the "investigative arm of Congress" and their overall goal is "to help improve the performance and accountability of the federal government for the benefit of the American people". 

The GAO has been investigating different arms of the government based on a push initiated from Senator Tom Coburn from Oklahoma to look into these overlapping agencies in order to cut spending (we are talking BILLIONS of dollars) and consolidate programs while the government is trying to cut the deficit. In fact, since the early 1990's the GAO has been making reccomendations about streamlining federal programs to help save money.  The GAO found that several of them have overlapping programs which have similar goals, descriptions and beneficiaries.  For example, there are 82 programs to improve teacher quality, 80 to help the disabled with transportation, 47 for job training and unemployment, and 56 to help people understand finances.  It seems to me that these programs would be so much stronger and more effective if they combined their resources and knowledge.

A huge disadvantage of these types of systems is that their effectiveness can't really be tested, since there are so many of them.  This system has also caused confusion in many areas.  An example is a program that requires government programs to purchase plug in and hybrid vehicles to reduce energy consumption only to find that many gas stations don't sell alternative fuels.  This has prompted these same agencies to ask for waivers to the requirement.

So how would these programs be streamlined?  What goes into eliminating the unnecessary departments in order to better organize?  The GAO investigated this issue, put the information all together in a report and advised Congress on their findings.  The problems lies in the opposition from lawmakers thinking that the ideas might not put them in a favorable light politically.  They don't want to put something out there that might hinder their future votes.  

I am happy to learn about the GAO and it's efforts.  Having an agency whose only concern is to hold the government accountable is so beneficial.  I appreciate the fact that the GAO also offers suggestions to Congress, and doesn't just criticize their actions.

Time to take America back

Read my class mate's post here. I agree… It is time to take America back!  It wasn’t until I took this government class that I realized how commonplace it is for our government to borrow money, adding to our national debt.  How is this justified?  What I am teaching my children is that if you don’t have the cash for it, you can’t afford it.  The reason I this idea is valuable to our family is because we have seen the hole you can dig yourself into by borrowing money.  Furthermore, we see how hard it is to dig yourself out of that hole.  Isn’t it time for someone to teach our elected officials this?  How about bringing jobs back to America as well?  I am hard pressed to remember the last time I called a 1-800 number and spoke with someone who was from America.  Why are we outsourcing call centers when there are perfectly capable American citizens needing employment?  My close friends and family are suffering because of outsourcing.  Many companies, such as Applied Materials and Freescale, are sending work overseas because it’s cheaper, leaving American families out of work.  What if we all wore clothes, ate food, and bought furniture that was made in America?  If the demand for American goods went up, it would then drive the prices of those goods down.  More Americans would have job opportunities and we could help lessen the debt that America has incurred.