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Jonathan Collegio, American Crossroads director of communications and former NRCC press secretary, on government spending and Washington’s culture o...
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At taxpayers' expense a turn now to Jonathan -- -- director of communications for American crossroads -- welcome -- to -- great to have -- here.
I want to start with an interesting case out of the city of Chicago.
A former mayor Richard -- there pumping up his pension fund to a 183000.
Dollars a year he's getting.
And he's doing -- -- maneuvering.
The money.
That -- supposed to be getting what do you make of this case.
Well in in in Chicago in particular and also in Washington DC in general it seems like there's a culture of waste fraud abuse happening and all.
Levels of government.
We see it with the Solyndra -- case where the stimulus money is funny company doesn't even have a business plan with these GSA junkets in Las Vegas.
Where they're spending money literally to higher magicians and mind readers 800000 dollars of taxpayer ways is almost as though.
There's a sense -- this isn't taxpayer money that this is the government's money well they can do whatever that they want -- -- and it's up.
Yeah I got to tell yet -- now it's like.
It's there we might as well -- -- right I mean it's taxpayer money but it's available to me so I'm gonna use it.
But let's get to daily for just a second here because you know what everything he did was legal he even got a friend of his in on the game.
Shouldn't he be giving this money back this just is not fair.
A 183000.
Dollars in pension fund -- is happening.
In pension funds when the government is the pair when taxpayers a -- across the country you see -- -- with the police and the firefighters and teachers.
All across the country I think what you have here is almost.
You're out of -- limited James Q Wilson the criminologist talk about the broken window fact.
Where criminals -- walking on the street AC broken windows in the buildings and a more likely to commit crimes because they see that these crimes are happening everywhere it's almost like the same thing we see.
-- these outrageous state funded pension plans taxpayer funded.
Pension plans stimulus grants going to go to companies don't even have business plans.
And at what is -- is creating a situation where people want and all that.
People would bad -- We are I think it's okay if you're not getting a check.
From Uncle Sam you think you're doing something wrong if you're not in on the scam you think you're being stupid right well it just to finish this thought out with that -- mayor -- Illinois in the budget hole to the tune of eight point two billion dollars and this is the kind of thing that gets you there until one of Medicare -- waste for just a second because.
I just a huge case talked about today.
Hundreds of millions of dollars and 452.
Million dollars in this single case about a 107 doctors nurses.
All kinds of health care professionals involved in the Medicare scam that really just.
-- -- Medicare payrolls.
But you know and did the present complains about.
Medicare and the spiraling costs and we need obamacare but really is this what's gonna happen at the end of the day you're just gonna be robbed blind by scam artists.
Well did -- thing that the other things important -- was the was a comments by.
The president's dead secretary of -- healthy human services she talked about how the president had delegated attorney general Eric Holder with this responsibility to really prioritize waste fraud abuse and in three and a half years into his presidency.
We have the biggest -- we're the biggest case of waste fraud abuse of all time I mean though the one thing is really important here is that when the president is talking about raising taxes went all of this waste is going on I think we need to cut the waste first before this even discussion about raising taxes because taxpayers again real.
In what order and -- the stay here yeah.
Exactly the -- at the end of the day I mean.
How much money would we be say that you we're getting rid of all that's there's another case I wanna talk to you about this new York city schools big study here not all of the schools some of the schools what do they find will teachers.
Fitch is not working all they're supposed to.
Take a look at these numbers a minimum cost to taxpayers last year 934000.
Dollars.
What's happening they're not working all the hours at their contract to do work.
This is astonishing.
These are public employees people who are supposed to be working for the taxpayer but at the end of the day what they're doing is lining their own pockets -- really getting away with what they can't and that's when it comes down to -- -- -- the fewest hours I can.
I'm gonna take away the biggest pension I can because.
That's what this is all about at the end of the day Uncle Sam -- copper state koppers it's just -- piggy bank for -- rob.
-- -- -- -- -- where the public employees' unions are going in electing the politicians that they're negotiating contracts went and and what's negotiated of those contracts are really really sweetheart deals.
I mean even in the New York City public school system you have you have a situation where the underperforming teachers who are so bad that they get directed out of the schools are still getting paid.
They're getting paid to show up in these -- rooms to go read the Paper and -- and play video games it's it's it's a real disgrace going on -- -- because.
The ethics of the private sector are not being adopted -- -- in the public sector this would not be happening in private companies those folks or be fired to be done away with.
But because taxpayers are other ones paying the bill they really see this is a way to just kind of passion to get the money's worth.
Jonathan how do we fix it.
I think -- the first thing that they have to do is lower right on what what's what governor Scott Walker did in in Wisconsin it was the first step.
In making public employees really have to start number one pay more into these pension -- way that they have some skin in the game.
And then also.
Really transforming -- the relationship between public sector unions and the government.
Making them be able to Dubya be able to negotiate a contract -- in -- private sector unions I think that that's a good first step ultimately I think you have to transform the system starting at the local level and then working its way all the way up to the federal level well Jonathan thanks for your time tonight we appreciate your help.
Thank you so much -- me on the show thanks for coming on.
