Government at the Brink, by Fred Thompson: on Government Reform
Ludicrous waste & fraud: you wonder if anyone is even trying
Because of its size and scope, and the terrible way it is managed, the federal government wastes billions and billions of your tax dollars every year. Obviously we will never completely eliminate fraud, waste, and error in an operation as large and
complex as the federal government. Some of the ludicrous situations we uncover, however, make you wonder if anyone is even trying. In this report, I hope to illuminate some of the root causes of the mismanagement that persist in the federal government
This report does not attempt to capture all of the serious management challenges that the government faces. Rather, we are focusing on four of the core problems that agencies face--workforce management, financial management, information technology
management, and overlap and duplication. The only thing we really need to solve these problems is leadership. If the President and the leadership in Congress make a priority out of solving these problems, they will get solved.
Source: Government at the Brink, by Fred Thompson, Vol.1, p. 1
Jun 3, 2001
Boston’s Big Dig #1 on Top Ten Worst Mismanagement
The Federal Government’s Top Ten Worst Examples of Mismanagement - THE BIG DIG--Boston’s Central Artery--is the most expensive federal infrastructure project in the nation’s history. Its cost continues to rise and is now estimated at
$13.6 billion; an almost 525% increase from the original $2.6 billion.
- ABUSING THE TRUST OF AMERICAN INDIANS--We do not know what happened to more than $3 billion held in trust for American Indians.
- DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
- MEDICARE WASTE, FRAUD, AND ABUSE--almost $12 billion every year on improper payments.
- SECURITY VIOLATIONS AT THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
-
IRS FINANCIAL MISMANAGEMENT
- VETERANS AFFAIRS PUTS PATIENT HEALTH AT RISK
- BILKING TAXPAYERS OUT OF STUDENT FINANCIAL AID
- UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE FRAUD
Source: Government at the Brink, by Fred Thompson, Vol.1, p. 2
Jun 3, 2001
Federal civil service system is broken
The civil service system--the process the federal government uses to hire and promote workers--is itself broken. The complex and outmoded federal civil service system takes too long to hire people. It fails to hold employees accountable for their
performance. It shields poor performers and does little to encourage and reward conscientious and hard-working employees. Too many good workers don’t get enough responsibility and support, so they become demoralized and leave.
Too many poor or marginal workers slide by for 20 or 30-year careers, and even advance, without any real accountability. One expert observed that the civil service system “is slow in the hiring, almost useless in the firing, overly permissive in the
promoting, & out of touch with actual performance.”Apart from its day-to-day problems, the basic federal civil service model--built around a cradle-to-grave career from entry level to retirement with virtually guaranteed job security--is outdated.
Source: Government at the Brink, by Fred Thompson, Vol.1, p. 11-12
Jun 3, 2001
Government invests billions on systems that don’t work
From the experience of the federal government thus far, it is clear that the design and implementation of financial management systems is difficult. Time after time, government agencies have invested millions--sometimes billions--on systems that
don’t work. Agencies should evaluate their progress throughout the year to ensure that the processes in place are working, that agency activities are efficient and effective, and that taxpayers’ dollars are not being wasted.
Accordingly, agencies should do the following: - Report the amount wasted each year.
- Communicate and coordinate payments with other agencies. For instance, the
IRS often gives tax refunds to individuals who are delinquent in paying their student loans.
- Recover the money to recoup overpayments.
Source: Government at the Brink, by Fred Thompson, Vol.1, p. 34
Jun 3, 2001