Your Federal Government at Work -- Justice Department Paying $16 for a Muffin

Your Federal Government at Work -- Justice Department Paying $16 for a Muffin

The Inspector General of the U.S. Justice Department released a report today, which details the findings of a study they conducted regarding the expenses at Justice Department conferences.

Specifically, they reviewed a sample of 10 conferences held between October 2007 and September 2009.

Here is a quote from the report: “Some conferences featured costly meals, refreshments, and themed breaks that we believe were indicative of wasteful or extravagant spending.”

Here are some specific examples they found:

• At one conference, the Justice Department served muffins which cost them $16 a piece
• At another, they served Beef Wellington appetizers that cost them $7.32 per serving
• A reception included swedish meatballs, for which they paid $5.00 PER MEATBALL.
• At one conference break, they served Cracker Jack, popcorn and candy bars. The Justice Department was billed $32 per person, for the snacks.

My own thoughts...
The report's findings are just one more example of the terrible waste and misallocation of resources that we find in government.

Our leaders are supposed to be good stewards of our tax dollars, but they have failed miserably. Now that they are broke, they want to raise taxes, so they can waste some more dollars.

There needs to be a very thorough audit of all government expenditures. Every nickel spent should have a good justification. We need to first cut out the waste and duplication and then have an adult conversation about what our spending priorities should be.

Only then can a realistic budget be created and sent to the American people.

To read an article about the Inspector General's study, please visit the following website:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-20/-extravagant-spending-16-muffins-found-at-justice-conferences.html

Your Federal Government at Work -- Justice Department Paying $16 for a Muffin