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What The US Government Spends Its Money On, Besides Hookers And Gambling
While there are those who, oblivious of the fastest collapse in US economic data on record, have pointed out that government tax receipts are rising with the implication being that the US consumer is doing quite fine thank you (and they are absolutely correct if by "consumer" they mean about 1% of the US population), what is rarely if ever discussed is that government expenditures are rising just as fast.
In fact as the following chart from the latest Treasury refunding presentation shows, the cumulative deficit through December in 2015 is just a fraction greater than last year, when government tax revenues were substantially lower.
So to understand where Uncle Sam spent all that extra cash it collected through various rising tax increases on the rich here is the full breakdown of the largest outlay categories for the US government in the first fiscal quarter of 2015 and 2014.
It will hardly come as a surprise that after being neck and neck a year ago with Social Security outlays, the spending on Medicare and Medicaid (HHS) has jumped substantially, and at over $250 billion in the quarter, is now the most cash demanding category courtesy of a demographically deteriorating America that is just a little bit older and whole lot fatter.
The bulk of the other spending categories were largely in line with the prior year, and the one outlier was interest on the debt (Treasury), which jumped to just around $125 billion for the quarter an increase of about 25% from a year ago, which is somewhat unexpected considering the average cost of debt continues to decline even if the total notional amount of US Federal Debt is now in the mid-$18 trillion range.
The one most interesting category was defense spending: a category despised by progressives even though at this rate spending on interest for the progressives' beloved government debt will soon eclipse defense. It is here that outlays actually dropped from a year ago, declining to just over $150 billion for the quarter. Which is surprising, because as Politico wrote overnight, among the items funded by general taxpayer revenue were such discretionary expenses as hookers and blackjack, after a defense department audit founds that Pentagon employees used their government credit cards to gamble and pay for “adult entertainment.”
From Politico:
The audit of “Government Travel Charge Transactions” by the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, which is to be made public in coming weeks, found that both civilian and military employees used the credit cards at casinos and for escort services and other adult activities — in Las Vegas and Atlantic City.
The audit forgot to add that the employees were either ridiculously brave or dumb as a bag of hammers to assume that charging a hooker on your taxpayer credit card would pass unnoticed.
Actually make that dumb as a bag of hammers, because the expenditures did not just involve swiping you card (in the prostitute's magnetic card reader), but actually submitting the expense for reimbursement. And for the supervisors to figure out that the funds were spent on hookers, it means that the Pentagon lackeys wrote down just that.
A Pentagon official briefed on some of the findings stressed that the federal government did not necessarily pay the charges; holders of the cards pay their own bills and then submit receipts to be reimbursed for expenses related to their government business.
Actually make that really, really dumb, because "the official said that the employees may have used the government cards for gambling and escort services in order to shield the charges from spouses." In other words, if you got caught not only would you get fired, but you would lose half your assets following a very messy divorce.
Those taxpaying Americans wondering if this was a one-off event, will be delighted to know that their taxes are abused pretty much on a constant basis by the government's employees: "the Department of Labor’s Inspector General recently found that Job Corps employees charged nearly $100,000 to the government for hair cuts, clothing, and personal cell phone service. The Department of Homeland Security found that Coast Guard employees charged more than $12,000 at a one California coffee shop alone. Three employees were fired and two resigned last year at the Bureau of Land Management after they charged $800,000 worth of gift cards on their government credit cards."
On the other hand, the Keynesians among us will protest that this is perfectly normal and even legitimate theft: after all, how is the economy expected to grow if corrupt criminals don't spend, spend, spend. Especially if the money isn't theirs to begin with. Those same Keynesians will demand that instead of collecting taxes, the government should merely issue a quadrillion dollars in debt which will be promptly monetized by the Fed, with the proceeds used by every government criminal to hire hookers, do blow, gamble 24/7 and otherwise "boost" the economy.
In fact, that may well describe the Keynesian nirvana: surely it would explain why the real US economy is fast approaching a state of terminal collapse. Which is why expect the trend in declining defense spending not to persist.
As for that last question, whether anyone will be fired, here is the simple answer: of course not,
Because the review was an audit of the credit card system and not an investigation of particular individuals, the official said the likely result will be that the agencies and military branches most affected will be compelled to remind employees that the practice violates policy — and possibly the law. [T]he findings are expected to lead department officials to issue stern new warnings.
Because if criminal banks get away with a wrist slap and a harsh warning by their "regulators", why not criminal government workers?
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Don't forget the booze and caviar (only the best and most expensive) .... taxpayer funded staples on Pelousy's plane between DC and CA when Speakerette
So said the SF Examiner newspaper
As long as we can make it to the show tonight, we're an AMERICAN BAND
During working hours? They may be geting paid while spending on hookers. That is reverse prostitution :)
Those are legitmate expenses for on the job training, learning how to be a DC whore and gambling other people's money. (career politician)
The way I see it, if we don't bang those hookers, then the terrorists have won.
Jez! These parasites are voracious!
BTW: I heard on NPR there's over $65 Billion in fraud on the Medicaid/Medicare system alone, yet the 'enforcers' complain there's too few of them to monitor the thousands of fraudsters. I wonder how many of the fraudsters are M/M gubmint employees themselves?
Any experts on the Fall of the Roman Empire who can compare these events?
Yes lots of Fraud in Medicaid and Medicare before the Roman Empire collapsed. J
Pretty much the same template every time, except it took a lot longer. Now they have collapsing the system down to an art, like they're using nano-thermite or something.
Sometimes I wonder if that's what the people behind "The Matrix" were alluding to.
"if we don't bang those hookers, then the terrorists have won"
LOL. Logged in just to upvote this.
Is Defense using MIL spec. hookers? Or just COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf)?
It is our money obtained from their counterfeit.
The citizens do the productive work, the treasury issues the bonds, the fractional reserve counterfeit purchases the bonds, the citizens are directly taxed by the government to pay off the holders of the bonds purchased with counterfeit.
The media of exchange, introduced by performing zero productive work to obtain it, is counterfeit. When the theft from the initial introduction of the new media is complete, then citizens use the same media of exchange as money. The former exchange it mediates is zero productive work for productive work. The latter exchange mediates productive work for productive work.
The citizens productive work, our money, is stolen by the exchange for no productive work, counterfeit.
I blew all my money on hookers and blow. The rest I wasted.
I might be thinking like a libertarian if I said leave adults alone 18 +, but I will tell people to avoid hookers, pimps, & drugs.
I don't see positive spirit from hard drugs.
Now maybe a light mj smoke could be part of a spiritual life, but adults have to think what they are doing.
Same for kids that know every thing, think it through and value people and community. Because community will turn against you quickly if you mess with drugs, look drunk, or engage in stealing.
What happens in the government--stays in the government.
Can I get one of these awesome credit cards???? I would like to pay my taxes with it. :P
Fucking IRS prohibits cash in safe boxes and attacks conservative americans. How the hell do we not revolt ?
Israeli Organ Harvesting: From Moldova To Palestine
http://www.wrmea.org/2009-november/israeli-organ-harvesting-from-moldova...
Israeli Organ Grinding
http://lithobolos.net/system/files/styles/node_gallery_display/private/n...
Wackoism.
Aw FaFaFoolin', Aw FaFaFoolin' I'm foolin' myself. Aw FaFaFoolin'. Def Leopard.
But Andy, they take Organs from Prisoners in China!!
And Andy, the Rich and Powerful always get what they want.
But there are no conspiracies if that makes you feel better.
Try walking around in New Orleans flashing cash on the street corners, no one is really interested except nice women who are looking for nice guys.
I got into the organ harvesting industry for a bit but my seedlings (orphans) kept dying when I planted them.
Who knows, maybe I over-watered or used too much Roundup.
Because if criminal banks get away with a wrist slap and a harsh warning by their "regulators", why not criminal government workers?
Because, government.
Now STFU serf and work harder comrade.
DEM=GOP=INC
Nothing changes until K Street burns.
Burn baby burn!
THE TRAMMPS - DISCO INFERNO - BOOGIE OOGIE - "BURN BABY BURN" TRADUÇÃO BR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZ1yK89imRk (8:45)
Sounds like a plan to me. I got to get me one of those government jobs, but I can't, cuz I'm white.
Damn , do they make threesomes with the DEA and sexy-nazi dutch central bankers ?
I should have gone public sector. My life is wasted.
They probably told them to put it on their cards.
It's called leverage.
Back in the mid eighties. Most private sector companies wanted anything to do with .gov. They took 60-90 days to pay and automatically took a 2% discount. Boy how times have changed. a fucking CREDIT CARD? lmao
Interesting all businesses waited till the end of the month to pay invoices...
You are saying with Federal .gov you could wait 60-90 days and you knew that was the discount rate of Bill Collectors??
But I have it backwards maybe.
The .gov took a 2% discount? Doesn't make sense to me.
Someone explain...
correction ..."didnt want anything to do with .gov"
"Don't fire me from The Government its only Blo and Hookers?"
don't bring this stuff up if you're not willing to agressively advocate for the firin' squad solution.
or do what they did in IRAN, when a Government official (the ones WE put in control) rapes a girl, and she commits suicide-they burn down the building. Kurds
about the only way you can be fired from a .gov job is to murder, or commit financial fraud on them.
THEY like to steal, but frown upon it when you do it to them
.gov makes the Mafia and the Cartels look good and they have weapons and some mean suckers.
But .gov has a military, a multitude of armed police and non intelligent agencies and the also torture and commit genocide.
We are all criminals having someone in DC calling the shots.
The states are better off going it alone and dumping the federal government.
Back in my corporate days, the finance department had squinty-eyed sheriff-clerks who would actually read your expense report, and if you entered lines for hookers, blow, pole-dancin' maniacs, and Lindsay reach-arounds, you would have a shitload of splainin' to do. Just before your exit interview. Executive suite excepted.
The bitch is that these .gov monkeys don't even try to hide it.
Not to mention the many IRS employees who were promoted or given raises after having been found to be cheating on their taxes:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/6/irs-gave-promotions-tax-c...
I'm just waiting to hear about the DEA agents who used government credit cards to purchase drugs and ATF agents who used government credit cards to buy illegal weapons.
Of course, there were the two CIA agents who were smuggling cocaine across the border:
http://worldnewsdailyreport.com/two-cia-agents-arrested-by-minutemen-whi...
Medicare and Social Security are NOT paid for by taxes on the rich. Medicare and Social Security are paid for by taxes on earned income. Rich people make money from "unearned" income, e.g. stocks, stock options, dividends, and interest.
All these charts which show Medicare and Social Security alongside government expenditures from general revenue are misleading.
what an ad hominem drenched, distorted piece of apparatchik propaganda. Learn something about a monetary sovereign and the fact that federal taxes are not used as a source of revenue for anything. How does shit like the above pass for credible economic dialogue.
Nobody ever mentions the 540 million we spend on bowling for government employees. If we found Rumsfeld's 2.3 trill we could have laser guidance lights, massive sound effects, live bands, saunas, massage rooms, Mahnolo rubber tips... It' all a crying shame.
Brenda,
Senior Uberschtuffer
Secretariat of the Ecology
(New Agency, new Title, upper six figures... but I'll do it for my country. And the kids. It's all about the kids. Kids love bowling!)
Forgot to ping the article. DoD is the Highest Spending.
HHS is supported at least half or 40% by Medicare Trust Fund)If it is a Trust Fund.
Anyway you have to shove aside SS, and DoD is number #1 in Federal Spending Programs even without the numbers for Black Programs, Black Agencies.
Yes and no...The U.S. Treasury divides all spending into three groups: mandatory spending (65%) and discretionary spending (29%) and interest on debt (6%).
The military budget is the largest portion of discretionary spending that goes through the annual appropriations process each year.
The largest portion of mandatory spending is earned-benefit or entitlement programs, and the spending for those programs is determined by eligibility rules rather than the appropriations process.
https://www.nationalpriorities.org/budget-basics/federal-budget-101/spen...
Fits in the grand scheme of things to me. Hookers and blow are already part of GDP criteria contributors in Europe anyway, those people are merely the heroes created by and saviors in the economic recovery narrative!