Government Watchdogs Warn of Lack of Oversight For Trillions...

ABC News ^ | 4/23/2009 | Jake Tapper

[markomalley]

The Government Accountability Office today issued a report on the $787 billion stimulus bill called "RECOVERY ACT: As Initial Implementation Unfolds in States and Localities, Continued Attention to Accountability Issues Is Essential."

The GAO study asserts that officials from most of the states surveyed "expressed concerns regarding the lack of Recovery Act funding provided for accountability and oversight. Due to fiscal constraints, many states reported significant declines in the number of oversight staff -- limiting their ability to ensure proper implementation and management of Recovery Act funds."

Because the economic downturn has led to "fiscal constraints, many states reported significant declines in the number of oversight staff, limiting their ability to ensure proper implementation and management of Recovery Act funds."

As but one example, Colorado’s state auditor told GAO about the difficulty the state has in conducting oversight of the stimulus finds. The Colorado legislature’s Joint Budget Committee recently cut in half field audit staff for the Colorado Department of Human Services. The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing has had three controllers in the past four years. Vacancies exist for the positions of internal auditor at the Department of Personnel & Administration, and deputy controller at the Colorado Department of Transportation.

The GAO report's warning of a lack of oversight echoed criticisms from earlier this week, when the Office of Special Inspector General for the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program Neil Barofsky presented his quarterly report to Congress.

[markomalley]

Why does none of this surprise me anymore?

[elpadre]

it is known as the Obama cookie jar!!!

[NTHockey]

A side note to the billions lost here and there; I am an accountant at a construction company that does work for MD, DE and PA. Contracts that were already let with state labor rates are now being rebid at federal rates. I did such a labor estimate yesterday; labor cost DOUBLED.

So next time you go by a construction site and see a flag man, just think that you are paying $18-20/hr for that job. Or a backhoe operator sitting idle, that’s $30-35/hr.