The Pentagon "Lost" $2.3T in One Year under Rumsfielf

[alatide]

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 29, 2002

The War on Waste

Defense Department Cannot Account For 25% of Funds — $2.3 Trillion

(CBS) On Sept. 10, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld declared war. Not on foreign terrorists, "the adversary's closer to home. It's the Pentagon bureaucracy," he said.

He said money wasted by the military poses a serious threat.

"In fact, it could be said it's a matter of life and death," he said.

Rumsfeld promised change but the next day – Sept. 11-- the world changed and in the rush to fund the war on terrorism, the war on waste seems to have been forgotten.

Just last week President Bush announced, "my 2003 budget calls for more than $48 billion in new defense spending."

More money for the Pentagon, CBS News Correspondent Vince Gonzales reports, while its own auditors admit the military cannot account for 25 percent of what it spends.

"According to some estimates we cannot track $2.3 trillion in transactions," Rumsfeld admitted.

$2.3 trillion — that's $8,000 for every man, woman and child in America. To understand how the Pentagon can lose track of trillions, consider the case of one military accountant who tried to find out what happened to a mere $300 million.

"We know it's gone. But we don't know what they spent it on," said Jim Minnery, Defense Finance and Accounting Service.

Minnery, a former Marine turned whistle-blower, is risking his job by speaking out for the first time about the millions he noticed were missing from one defense agency's balance sheets. Minnery tried to follow the money trail, even crisscrossing the country looking for records.

"The director looked at me and said 'Why do you care about this stuff?' It took me aback, you know? My supervisor asking me why I care about doing a good job," said Minnery.

He was reassigned and says officials then covered up the problem by just writing it off.

"They have to cover it up," he said. "That's where the corruption comes in. They have to cover up the fact that they can't do the job."

The Pentagon's Inspector General "partially substantiated" several of Minnery's allegations but could not prove officials tried "to manipulate the financial statements."

Twenty years ago, Department of Defense Analyst Franklin C. Spinney made headlines exposing what he calls the "accounting games." He's still there, and although he does not speak for the Pentagon, he believes the problem has gotten worse.

"Those numbers are pie in the sky. The books are cooked routinely year after year," he said.

Another critic of Pentagon waste, Retired Vice Admiral Jack Shanahan, commanded the Navy's 2nd Fleet the first time Donald Rumsfeld served as Defense Secretary, in 1976.

In his opinion, "With good financial oversight we could find $48 billion in loose change in that building, without having to hit the taxpayers."

----------------------------------------------------------------
Don't believe this? Here's Rumsfield himself testifying before a Congressional committee and admitting it. The date? 9/10/2001.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87dbM8Cc5rI


You don't just lose $2.3T. You launder it and use it for something else. Rumsfield stated in his testimony that it would take years to find out what was done about what had happened and to fix it. Well, that was 8 years ago. What

 

[OldRegular]

"whoever" in his above post would have us believe that Secretary Rumsfield lost 25% more money [that is $2.3 with a T trillion.] in the first 8 months of the Bush Administration than the entire 2001 Federal Budget when only $292.2 billion with a B was slated for Defense spending . I knew that Rumsfield was clever but how did he do it?

http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0200/020700b3.htm

Clinton proposes $1.84 trillion federal budget for fiscal 2001

By Brian Friel
February 7, 2000

President Clinton today released a $1.84 trillion budget proposal for fiscal 2001, a 2.5 percent increase over 2000.

The budget projects a $184 billion surplus in 2001 and proposes to pay off the national debt by 2013. Clinton proposes an increase in total discretionary spending of $22.8 billion, to $614.3 billion. Nearly half - $292.2 billion - is slated for Defense spending, an $11.3 billion increase over the 2000 Defense budget.

In his budget message, Clinton said the administration will continue to improve government operations through better management.

"We are forging ahead with new efforts to improve the quality of the service that the government offers its customers," Clinton said. The President said the government's management of the year 2000 computer problem was a mark of the administration's success in making government work better. "The federal government's Y2K efforts were, beyond all expectation, remarkably trouble free. We will continue to move ahead to address other priorities, including modernizing student aid delivery, implementing IRS reforms, and strengthening the management of the Health Care Financing Administration, which oversees Medicare."

Following Clinton's State of the Union address last month, Republicans criticized the President for proposing too much new spending for 2001. Republicans would prefer to see more money set aside for tax cuts.

 

[alatide]

"whoever" in his above post would have us believe that Secretary Rumsfield lost 25% more money [that is $2.3 with a T trillion.] in the first 8 months of the Bush Administration than the entire 2001 Federal Budget when only $292.2 billion with a B was slated for Defense spending . I knew that Rumsfield was clever but how did he do it?

http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0200/020700b3.htm

Clinton proposes $1.84 trillion federal budget for fiscal 2001

By Brian Friel
February 7, 2000

President Clinton today released a $1.84 trillion budget proposal for fiscal 2001, a 2.5 percent increase over 2000.

The budget projects a $184 billion surplus in 2001 and proposes to pay off the national debt by 2013. Clinton proposes an increase in total discretionary spending of $22.8 billion, to $614.3 billion. Nearly half - $292.2 billion - is slated for Defense spending, an $11.3 billion increase over the 2000 Defense budget.

In his budget message, Clinton said the administration will continue to improve government operations through better management.

"We are forging ahead with new efforts to improve the quality of the service that the government offers its customers," Clinton said. The President said the government's management of the year 2000 computer problem was a mark of the administration's success in making government work better. "The federal government's Y2K efforts were, beyond all expectation, remarkably trouble free. We will continue to move ahead to address other priorities, including modernizing student aid delivery, implementing IRS reforms, and strengthening the management of the Health Care Financing Administration, which oversees Medicare."

Following Clinton's State of the Union address last month, Republicans criticized the President for proposing too much new spending for 2001. Republicans would prefer to see more money set aside for tax cuts.

You're comparing apples to oranges. A budget shortfall is one thing. In this case the Pentagon (Rumsfield) didn't know where the $2.3T went. It wasn't on the books any longer. It vanished or was stolen. Rumsfield admits it himself in the video.

 

[sag38]

This kind of stuff was going on long before your whipping boy, Rumsfield, came along. So who are you going to beat on, blame, and belittle next? Let's see, there Dick Chaney, the Evil Karl Rove, and let's not forget the catch all whipping boy, George "It's all His Fault" Bush.

 

[padredurand]

This kind of stuff was going on long before your whipping boy, Rumsfield, came along. So who are you going to beat on, blame, and belittle next? Let's see, there Dick Chaney, the Evil Karl Rove, and let's not forget the catch all whipping boy, George "It's all His Fault" Bush.

An article from 2002? Is this the history forum?

 

[OldRegular]

You're comparing apples to oranges. A budget shortfall is one thing. In this case the Pentagon (Rumsfield) didn't know where the $2.3T went. It wasn't on the books any longer. It vanished or was stolen. Rumsfield admits it himself in the video.

"whoever", Your thread is titled "The Pentagon "Lost" $2.3T in One Year under Rumsfielf".

How can Rumsfield lose money that doesn't exist?

This is just another pathetic attempt by "whoever" to dump on President Bush!

 

[Winman]

Since you want to talk about wasted money, check out this article on Medicare waste that came out YESTERDAY.

From wheelchairs and walkers to orthopedic shoes and needles, Medicare buys tens of thousands of products every day for elderly Americans. And as the single largest buyer of medical products, you'd think it would at least get a volume discount.

But it doesn't. In fact, Medicare doesn't even get the best price.

According to their own auditors, Medicare knowingly overpays for almost everything it buys. Examples include:

-- $7,215 to rent an oxygen concentrator, when the purchase price is $600.

-- $4,018 for a standard wheelchair, while the private sector pays $1,048.

-- $1,825 for a hospital bed, compared to an Internet price of $1,071.

-- $3,335 for a respiratory pump, versus an advertised price of $1,987.

-- $82 for a diabetic supply kit, instead of a $47 price on the Web.

Last year, the Health and Human Services Department tried to replace its archaic fixed-price fee schedule for 10 commonly purchased products with a competitive bidding program in 10 cities. The department said the program could save Medicare $125 million in a single year, or $1 billion if adopted nationwide. But Congress stepped in to stop it.

"There were products that we had as much as 75 percent savings. The average was 29 percent," said Mike Leavitt, the former HHS secretary who oversaw the program.

"It would have saved billions if we could've actually implemented it, but Congress deferred it. In Washington speak, that means we put it off forever," he said.

Leavitt blames Congressmen Pete Stark (D-Calif.) and Dave Camp (R-Mich.) for introducing legislation that terminated the contracts and postponed the program for 18 months. Leavitt says the congressional intervention helps explain why many are suspicious of claims that Washington can cut enough waste to actually pay for health care reform, as President Obama told a joint session of Congress last month.

"Reducing the waste and inefficiency in Medicare and Medicaid will pay for most of this plan," Leavitt said.

"The problem here is one man's waste is another man's living, and whenever there is an effort put forward to actually make an efficiency, someone goes on the offensive and hires lobbyists and does what they can to constrain Congress from doing it," Leavitt said.

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the health care industry is currently spending $2 million a day lobbying Congress. Leavitt's pilot program died after small business suppliers claimed it would have put them out of business. Eventually, industry agreed to help pay the cost of terminated contracts that Medicare had already negotiated.

Industry officials argued the new system would unfairly disqualify some suppliers, and others with little experience would get the business, causing a decline in quality and service.

And you want the government to run the health care industry?

 

[OldRegular]

Since you want to talk about wasted money, check out this article on Medicare waste that came out YESTERDAY.



And you want the government to run the health care industry?

A Socialist is a Socialist is a Marxist in sheep's clothing.

 

[alatide]

This kind of stuff was going on long before your whipping boy, Rumsfield, came along. So who are you going to beat on, blame, and belittle next? Let's see, there Dick Chaney, the Evil Karl Rove, and let's not forget the catch all whipping boy, George "It's all His Fault" Bush.

I don't doubt that it was but it would seem as if in a time of economic crisis a $2.3T refund from the Pentagon would help. Don't you agree.

 

[alatide]

"whoever", Your thread is titled "The Pentagon "Lost" $2.3T in One Year under Rumsfielf".

How can Rumsfield lose money that doesn't exist?

This is just another pathetic attempt by "whoever" to dump on President Bush!

The money certainly existed. Then it vanished off the books. It was lost (stolen) during 2001. The pentagon auditors confirmed that and so did Rumsfield.

 

[alatide]

An article from 2002? Is this the history forum?

Good. Then we can never mention Clinton or Carter again. or Reagan for that matter.

 

[alatide]

Since you want to talk about wasted money, check out this article on Medicare waste that came out YESTERDAY.



And you want the government to run the health care industry?

I'm not talking about wasted money. Don't any of you guys get it? I'm talking about money that is no longer on the Pentagon's books and they don't know how it was spent. The money could easily have been stolen, laundered and used for illegal or anti-government activities. Our current national debt is about $11.5T. I'm talking about somebody absconding with 20-25% of the national debt! The really important part is that Rumsfield confirms this.

 

[OldRegular]

The money certainly existed. Then it vanished off the books. It was lost (stolen) during 2001. The pentagon auditors confirmed that and so did Rumsfield.

Your hatred of Bush has addled your thought process "whoever".

First, it is impossible for more money to be lost or stolen in 8 months than was appropriated for the entire Federal Budget.

Second, the so-called $2.3 with a T trillion was not lost or stolen in the first 8 months of the Bush administration. It is apparent that if such an amount was actually missing it would take many years since the Military budget was less than $300 billion with a B during the Clinton years. Lets see 8 X $300,000,000,000 [that is $300 with a B billion]= $2.4 trillion with a T. No wonder the United States was defenseless during the Clinton years. The entire Defense Budget was stolen!:laugh::laugh: Probably by the Arkansas Mafia.:laugh::laugh:

Third, I believe that it is generally assumed that those who post on this forum have some ability at rational thinking; you routinely prove that assumption false.

Fourth, that You Tube collage was obviously an early hit piece by the people still whining over the defeat of Gore.

Again, your hatred of Bush has befuddled your thought process "whoever".

 

[OldRegular]

I'm not talking about wasted money. Don't any of you guys get it? I'm talking about money that is no longer on the Pentagon's books and they don't know how it was spent. The money could easily have been stolen, laundered and used for illegal or anti-government activities. Our current national debt is about $11.5T. I'm talking about somebody absconding with 20-25% of the national debt! The really important part is that Rumsfield confirms this.

It is apparent that if such an amount was actually missing it would take many years since the Military budget was less than $300 billion with a B during the Clinton years. Lets see 8 X $300,000,000,000 [that is $300 with a B billion]= $2.4 trillion with a T. No wonder the United States was defenseless during the Clinton years. The entire Defense Budget was stolen! :laugh::laughrobably by the Arkansas Mafia.:laugh::laugh:

 

[rbell]

one dollar gets you ten that alatide will suggest this "vanished" money was the fee Bush paid to have the WTC bombed.

Hey, it is a profoundly stupid hypothesis, but it wouldn't surprise me...

 

[alatide]

Your hatred of Bush has addled your thought process "whoever".

First, it is impossible for more money to be lost or stolen in 8 months than was appropriated for the entire Federal Budget.

Second, the so-called $2.3 with a T trillion was not lost or stolen in the first 8 months of the Bush administration. It is apparent that if such an amount was actually missing it would take many years since the Military budget was less than $300 billion with a B during the Clinton years. Lets see 8 X $300,000,000,000 [that is $300 with a B billion]= $2.4 trillion with a T. No wonder the United States was defenseless during the Clinton years. The entire Defense Budget was stolen!:laugh::laugh: Probably by the Arkansas Mafia.:laugh::laugh:

Third, I believe that it is generally assumed that those who post on this forum have some ability at rational thinking; you routinely prove that assumption false.

Fourth, that You Tube collage was obviously an early hit piece by the people still whining over the defeat of Gore.

Again, your hatred of Bush has befuddled your thought process "whoever".

I suppose you're saying that Rumsfield was lying in his testimony before congress. I find that to be out of character for you but hey, maybe you're a closet liberal!

 

[OldRegular]

I suppose you're saying that Rumsfield was lying in his testimony before congress. I find that to be out of character for you but hey, maybe you're a closet liberal!

Rumsfield did not say that $2.3 trillion with a T was lost in an eight month period. Pull the ear plugs out!

 

[alatide]

Rumsfield did not say that $2.3 trillion with a T was lost in an eight month period. Pull the ear plugs out!

What did he say? You call it.

 

[OldRegular]

What did he say? You call it.

You started the stupid OP! You call it! Then explain how the Military could loose 8 times as much money as they received for the entire year in the last 8 months of the fiscal year.

 

[poncho]

700 hundred billion here a couple trillion there. Hey, what's it matter we're all happy and safe aren't we?

What it all boils down to in the end is somebody hasn't been doing their job. I suspect it's probably we the people for not holding our public servants accountable.