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A Closer Look at Government Spending

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    Citizens Against Government Waste President Tom Schatz on government waste.

  • Duration 3:36
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Joining me now Tom Schatz president Citizens Against Government Waste Tom is it and you study this all the time.

Why is it that we can't get rid of this waste.

There are so many.

Entrenched constituencies in Washington that it makes it extremely difficult to get rid of even the most obvious ways.

-- you recall CA DW was the first organization to identify pork barrel projects which then became known as earmarks back in 1991.

The earmark moratorium finally took place in 2000 intent.

And so we're facing here continues to get rid -- the most ridiculous an obvious way.

I just don't and yet it is it because its government and government employees at the end of the day are held accountable like these aren't CEOs department heads.

These are folks working on the public dole at the end of the day -- a few more dollars -- I guess they figure who can't.

There is a little bit of that going around we've heard stories from people we've been speaking with about.

Efforts to improve efficiency aid agencies they walk in with plans that will cut spending and save money.

And on occasion they here we don't care because it doesn't affect them in fact in some cases they've said.

You know if you make things more efficient I'm gonna lose a few people in my agency and therefore we're gonna get less money that's really the point of improving efficiency right.

Exactly because at the end of the day so you're total -- department gets smaller when you actually make these tough choices.

We're talking about this Medicare program and and what's going on there because it's really bothers me this nursing home issue.

You know.

One out of every three patients that landed in these nursing home facilities in 2009.

Were in unsafe facilities could government.

Is bankrolling.

Bad facilities with our tax -- dollars this is just immoral.

Well it's ridiculous and even have new quality surveys to try to figure out which ones are working and which ones aren't.

And they can't really monitor.

Whether or not any of these surveys are effective.

And I cases when.

But because it's it's the centers for Medicare Medicaid Services they created a survey.

And they send it out and then when they come back they're not quite sure whether they're following up appropriately.

You know it's just the same -- spending money not caring what the outcome is going to be which is unfortunately.

Why we have all these problems here Washington.

We're spending nearly 600 billion dollars.

On Medicare every year and we can't get this right this you know if you if you don't spend the money widely should get it -- now -- -- at a time email on that.

But really I mean if if we if we can't do -- the right way why should we do it and that's just the way I feel about it.

-- the problem is that when you start talking about spending it correctly everybody says oh you're gonna send people out on the streets are going to start look at what the president said a few days ago I don't wanna choose between educating children and providing day care and at this catastrophic -- sequestration which.

Which interestingly if -- nothing.

Occurs as a result of sequestration nobody notices the spending cuts.

The president loses on this issue because we've cut 85 billion nobody noticed and I think that's probably what's -- now.

-- -- my -- well I just have to point out one thing about this veterans program.

Because -- this whole thing was started nine years ago.

Nine years ago right either gonna try to bring all these documents together for -- vet and for active duty military.

Make them electronic.

And one of the congressman said in the private sector this would've been done by now.

Oh -- act that's right Tom thanks for coming on tonight it's -- great to have -- I know you're on the right side of this issue you gotta keep fighting the good fight.

For all us taxpayers.

Thanks very.

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