Martha Johnson
Posted on 04/02/2012 1:50:52 PM PDT by TonyInOhio
General Services Administration head Martha Johnson has resigned along with two of her deputies, reportedly over an impending inspector general’s report detailing lavish spending on a Vegas conference for a handful of government employees:
Organizers spent $835,000 on the event, which was attended by 300 employees. The expenses included $147,000 in airfare and lodging at the hotel for six planning trips by a team of organizers. Among the other expenses were $3,200 for a mind reader; $6,300 on commemorative coin set displayed in velvet boxes and $75,000 on a training exercise to build a bicycle.
“When the White House was informed of the Inspector General’s findings we acted quickly to determine who was responsible for such a gross misuse of taxpayer dollars,” White House Chief of State Jack Lew said in a statement to The Washington Post. President Obama “was outraged by the excessive spending, questionable dealings with contractors, and disregard for taxpayer dollars,” Lew said, “and called for all those responsible to be held fully accountable.”
The GSA is basically the federal government’s office managers, providing things like office space, desks, and cars to other agencies. One of its charges is to develop cost-saving administrative strategies. . . .
Martha Johnson
The mind reader was probably the only one there with credibility.
In November 2001 thru January 2003, Johnson became vice president of the Council for Excellence in Government. She is a former official in the administration of President Bill Clinton.
Johnson's nomination languished for months after Missouri Sen. Kit Bond placed a hold on her nomination over concerns he had about why the GSA wasn't closing down the federally owned Bannister Complex outside Kansas City, Missouri and relocating staff to leased space in downtown Kansas City.
On February 3, 2010, Obama, in an unusual move for a sitting president, sharply criticized Bond and Republican senators for blocking Johnson's nomination, and complained that Republicans were blocking nominees for reasons that have nothing to do with their qualifications for their prospective jobs.
Obama said:
"Nobody can tell me that there's anything particularly wrong with her. They're blocking her because of some unrelated matter. Don't hold this — this woman hostage. If you have an objection about my health-care policies, then let's debate the health-care policies. But don't suddenly end up having a GSA administrator who is stuck in limbo somewhere because you don't like something else that we're doing."
On April 2, 2012, Martha Johnson submitted her resignation to the White House due to overspending at a training conference held in October 2010 at a Las Vegas, NV hotel.
GSA does purchase alot of things for the Government, but DOD still buys the most.. You are correct on the other items as GSA runs it self pretty much like a business.. For the most part, they receive funding by getting agencies to buy through them and GSA bills the agency for the cost + adminstrative costs a little bit of margin to fund future investments.
Only the King is allowed to do such things.
http://twitter.com/#!/marthagsa
Martha N. Johnson; @MarthaGSA
Thanks to all the participants and federal employees that joined us in #Columbus for the #WHSummit. Next up, Orlando!
Martha N. Johnson; @MarthaGSA
.@USDOL has a large presence at the #WHSummit and talking about #jobs, training, and worker safety.
Martha N. Johnson; @MarthaGSA
RT @relevanza: It’s really an amazing array of people, backgrounds, interests here at White House Summit...just like America! #WHSummit
I'm going to guess........
mind reader = Joe Biden
commemorative coin set = 0bama 'historic election coins'
bicycle training exercise = display by Union Government Motors employees looking to create a "green" vehicle that [hopefully] won't burst into flames.
“Why is she not in jail”?
One of Holders people???
The very same one. In fact the same one who has blown millions on his vacations.
Oh come on, resigning because of spending a measely $835,000! That is just “BUDGET DUST.”
And it gave Harry Reid’s union supporters in Las Vegas pay back for their support in the last election, and probably an extra bonus for every time they voted that day.
Sarcasm off.
An idea what her husband does?
Looks at the pictures, rather than reading the articles, in Playboy?
If he asked for cash up front, yes.
You’d think she shouldn’t have to be told to WASH HER FREAKING HAIR before a portrait shoot....
I am an event organizer for another federal agency. Our conference attendees barely get coffee and every single cent has to be accounted for.
The FAR and GAO set the guidelines and they apply to all of us. I don’t understand how they are able to justify this, since it’s approved in advance.
Martha Johnson has resigned along with two of her deputies, reportedly over an impending inspector general’s report detailing lavish spending on a Vegas conference for a handful of government employees...
But now I'm just being catty.
If they all resigned over outlandish spending the halls of congress would be empty. Which would not be a bad thing, come to think about it.
Must be one o them special Al Bore wooden bicycles....
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