After Losing $20 Million in Equipment, Federal Health-Care Agency Won $500 Million Earmark...

CNS NEWS.com ^ | Friday, June 19, 2009 | Monica Gabriel

[Cindy]

After Losing $20 Million in Equipment, Federal Health-Care Agency Won $500 Million Earmark in Stimulus; Agency’s HQ Had 10 Pieces of IT Equipment Per Worker Friday, June 19, 2009 By Monica Gabriel

(CNSNews.com) - The $787 billion stimulus bill that President Obama signed in February awarded the Indian Health Service with an earmark for $500 million in new funding, including $85 million specifically set aside for “health information technology activities,” even though a Government Accountability Office audit released the previous June concluded that mismanagement of the IHS had allowed $15.8 million worth of equipment to be lost or stolen between 2004 and 2007.

The GAO report released in June 2008 also concluded that wasteful spending by the Indian Health Service had resulted in the service’s headquarters possessing 10 pieces of IT equipment for every employee who worked there.

The report was entitled: "IHS Mismanagment Led to Millions of Dollars in Lost or Stolen Property."

This June, a year after publication of the original GAO report, and four months after the stimulus bill earmarked $500 million in new funding for the Indian Health Service, a new GAO report revealed that the IHS was continuing to lose government property.

The new report was entitled: "Indian Health Service--Millions of Dollars in Property and Equipment Continue to be Lost or Stolen."

“We found that property continues to be lost or stolen at IHS at an alarming rate,” the GAO reported this month. “From October 2007 through January 2009, IHS identified about 1,400 items with an acquisition value of about $3.5 million that were lost or stolen agencywide. These property losses are in addition to what we identified in our June 2008 report.

[SunkenCiv]

the Indian Health Service... mismanagement... had allowed $15.8 million worth of equipment to be lost or stolen between 2004 and 2007... resulted in the service's headquarters possessing 10 pieces of IT equipment for every employee who worked there.

Hey, that's only $4 million to $5 million a year. Geez.

[Dr. Sivana]

10 pieces of IT equipment

What the heck does that mean? Does a mouse and keyboard count as separate items? How about speakers? A small ink jet printer? An inexpensive flatbed scanner? It doesn't take long to get to 10 depending on what you count.

[Glenn]

Indian?

Is that a “How” Indian?

Or a spice trading “Indian”?

I’m suffering from PC appropriate language.

Help.

[Erik Latranyi]

Just wait until ACORN takes over the census....they will have 100 pieces of IT equipment per worker.....so they can fence the excess and put the money into registering efforts.

[Vaduz]

Millions of Dollars in Property and Equipment Continue to be Lost or Stolen.” More earmarks to follow yes it’s Obama’s logic all right.

[KTM rider]

Indian Chief 'Two Eagles' was asked by a white government official, 'You have observed the white man for 90 years.

You've seen his wars and his technological advances.

You've seen his progress, and the damage he's done.' The Chief nodded in agreement.

The official continued , 'Considering all these events, in your opinion, where did the white man go wrong?'

The Chief stared at the government official for over a minute and then calmly replied . 'When white man find land, Indians running it, no taxes, no debt, plenty buffalo, plenty beaver, clean water. Women did all the work, Med icine man free. Indian man spend all day hunting and fishing; all night having FUN.'

Then the chief leaned back and smiled . 'Only white man dumb enough to think he could improve system like that.'

[1010RD]

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