“There is a reluctance to penalize mis-spending”
According to the United States EPA, management authority includes an effective administrative tool to address waste, fraud, abuse, poor performance, environmental noncompliance or other misconduct: The authority to suspend and or debar individuals and entities.
Suspension and debarment actions prevent companies and individuals from participating in government contracts, subcontracts, loans, grants and other assistance programs. The effect of suspension and debarment by a federal agency is government wide. Suspension and debarment actions protect the government from doing business with individuals/companies/recipients who pose a business risk to the government. Debarment is the state of being excluded from enjoying certain possessions, rights, privileges, or practices and the act of prevention by legal means.
So there is a legal tool within the government based out of The Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act, passed in 1977, which sets out to guide government agencies in their use of Federal funds and the government can recover those funds upon failure of the project.
Using the excuse that it has not been done in a long time is not acceptable. We are not talking about moralities. We are discussing a financial obligation. The money can be recovered.
rwood