Author Topic: The High Cost of Government Waste  (Read 2591 times)

Offline mike robel

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The High Cost of Government Waste
« on: 01/14/2012 01:15 am »
Interesting article, not the normal drivel, showing how Space can easily be financed by the "waste" in the budget and how  large technical programs are one of the few things the government can do.

http://www.american.com/archive/2012/january/the-high-cost-of-government-waste


Offline rdale

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Re: The High Cost of Government Waste
« Reply #1 on: 01/14/2012 01:32 am »
If millions are saved in government waste (a promise made every year by every candidate yet never fulfilled) the last thing Americans want it spent on is a space colony.

Offline Patchouli

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Re: The High Cost of Government Waste
« Reply #2 on: 01/14/2012 01:37 am »
I never thought I'd agree with something Gingrich said though I doubt he'd follow through with any of those promises.

Heck I'd like to see the war on drugs and the TSA budgets spent on space exploration.

Oh and Obama's Science adviser John Holdren is truly incorrect.
« Last Edit: 01/14/2012 01:56 am by Patchouli »

Offline beb

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Re: The High Cost of Government Waste
« Reply #3 on: 01/14/2012 02:13 am »
What government waste? That fruit has been squeezed by one administration after another, there's no juice left to be squeezed. Programs like Veterans Administration and Medicare are very efficiently administered. Farm subsidies may be waste in some people's book but it's an authorized federal expenditure. Some people consider NASA waste but we here obviously don't. The one area where waste clearly existed was the no-bid contracts let to contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan. But I don't Republicans would agree to even that.  Waste... in the federal government. Not in serious numbers.

Offline Patchouli

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Re: The High Cost of Government Waste
« Reply #4 on: 01/14/2012 03:20 am »
What government waste? That fruit has been squeezed by one administration after another, there's no juice left to be squeezed. Programs like Veterans Administration and Medicare are very efficiently administered. Farm subsidies may be waste in some people's book but it's an authorized federal expenditure. Some people consider NASA waste but we here obviously don't. The one area where waste clearly existed was the no-bid contracts let to contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan. But I don't Republicans would agree to even that.  Waste... in the federal government. Not in serious numbers.

Maybe not there but there is vast amounts of government waste.
Here's an excellent example of foolish use of funds at it finest.
Would you believe someone was stupid enough to feel it was ok to use a predator drone over 6 cows?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2073248/Local-cops-used-Predator-drone-arrest-North-Dakota-farm-family-stealing-6-cows.html

A predator drone cost about $3234 an hour to operate.

Still more waste.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505144_162-57345686/10-most-outrageous-ways-government-wastes-your-money/

And even more stupidity on the government part this time from the EPA.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/01/13/senators-warn-new-epa-rules-would-raise-gas-prices/?intcmp=trending
Today's special term of the day is diminishing returns.
Yes going from 300ppm to 30 ppm made a huge difference but there is almost nothing to be gained by going from 30ppm to 10ppm esp if it's going to raise prices by 40cents which would be harmful to an already sick economy.
I recommend firing Margo Oge and his cohorts preferably into the sun.
« Last Edit: 01/14/2012 03:36 am by Patchouli »

Offline luke strawwalker

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Re: The High Cost of Government Waste
« Reply #5 on: 01/14/2012 03:21 am »
What government waste? That fruit has been squeezed by one administration after another, there's no juice left to be squeezed. Programs like Veterans Administration and Medicare are very efficiently administered. Farm subsidies may be waste in some people's book but it's an authorized federal expenditure. Some people consider NASA waste but we here obviously don't. The one area where waste clearly existed was the no-bid contracts let to contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan. But I don't Republicans would agree to even that.  Waste... in the federal government. Not in serious numbers.

Realize that most "farm subsidies" are actually spent (about 3/4 of what's budgeted for the "Farm Program" IIRC) on Food Stamps, WIC, and other "assistance" entitlement type programs, quite apart from ANYTHING having ANYTHING to do with actual production agriculture...

Don't get me wrong, there's room to cut in the "farm programs" as there are a lot of sweetheart deals and most of the 'assistance' is aimed at federal crop insurance, subsidizing agriculture "indirectly" via corporate welfare in the form of ethanol subsidies, cotton marketing programs, and various other things that make it cheaper for big multinational agribiz to buy crops at cheaper prices, supposedly with the idea that they'll pass that money on to the farmer-- yeah right... "trickle down economics" at it's finest...

BUT, the biggest graft in the farm program is food stamps, WIC, and the school lunch program... all of which end up under the farm program because it supposedly 'increases the demand' for farm produced food and fiber... yeah right... like the welfare cases won't eat if the gubmint don't give 'em a check...

Later!  OL JR :)  (with a lifetime in farming/ranching). 
NO plan IS the plan...

"His plan had no goals, no timeline, and no budgetary guidelines. Just maybe's, pretty speeches, and smokescreens."

Offline rdale

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Re: The High Cost of Government Waste
« Reply #6 on: 01/14/2012 03:32 am »
Maybe not there but there is vast amounts of government waste.
Here's an excellent example of foolish use of funds at it finest.
Would you believe someone was stupid enough to feel it was ok to use a predator drone over 6 cows?

Did the drone get launched on the shuttle? I'm not seeing the connection to NSF...

Offline nihil

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Re: The High Cost of Government Waste
« Reply #7 on: 01/14/2012 03:38 am »
Farm subsidies may be waste in some people's book but it's an authorized federal expenditure.

Being authorized is part of the definition of "Gov't Waste". Unauthorized spending goes under "Corruption".

Offline Patchouli

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Re: The High Cost of Government Waste
« Reply #8 on: 01/14/2012 03:46 am »
Maybe not there but there is vast amounts of government waste.
Here's an excellent example of foolish use of funds at it finest.
Would you believe someone was stupid enough to feel it was ok to use a predator drone over 6 cows?

Did the drone get launched on the shuttle? I'm not seeing the connection to NSF...

Simple it's an example of government waste which takes away from other programs.
This case may not be direct but the USAF will have to foot that bill which means the money has to come from somewhere.

Not related it's also really creepy to be spying on US citizens like that.

Sure that family is a bunch of loons but they still deserve due process.
« Last Edit: 01/14/2012 03:58 am by Patchouli »

Offline QuantumG

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Re: The High Cost of Government Waste
« Reply #9 on: 01/14/2012 03:54 am »
My summary of this article: If it wasn't for the all government waste you would be able to spend government money on your pet project. Wouldn't that be great?! Let's eliminate government waste!

It's the "there's enough taxes for every special interest if only we could just eliminate the waste" argument applied to spaceflight.

Human spaceflight is basically just LARPing now.

Offline spectre9

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Re: The High Cost of Government Waste
« Reply #10 on: 01/14/2012 04:40 am »
How would police normally do their recon?

Choppers?

Cost price comparison anybody?

Is using a drone like this a waste. I'm sure it is but real facts will be needed to support that argument and possibly a poster that knows about police surveillance techniques.

Offline Chris Bergin

Re: The High Cost of Government Waste
« Reply #11 on: 01/14/2012 05:54 am »
This one's another dodgy thread where very weak links to this site's content is allowing some people to use it as part of their 2012 election drive.

Boring ;D

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