Posted on 08/31/2025 2:38:01 PM PDT by bitt
There are times when reading a list of projects funded by the United States federal government sounds more like parody than reality.
The Department of Government Efficiency — unlike Congress, it seems — is still working hard every day to identify and eliminate waste and fraud from the federal government funded by our taxpayer dollars. And this week’s update included some profoundly idiotic programs and grants that were, until now, recipients of our hard-earned cash.
DOGE normally releases a contracts update on X on Fridays highlighting some of the stupidest agency contracts that it has discovered in the last week, and this past week‘s was a doozy: “Over the last 5 days, agencies terminated 50 wasteful contracts with a ceiling value of $2.9B and savings of $762M, including a $2.4M DoD contract for ‘transgender health medical evaluation unit services’, a $128.5k DoD contract for ‘LGBTQ magazine advertising campaign’, and a $48.7M USAID contract for ‘the Belarus Regional Initiative to provide transition activities in Belarus and other countries in Europe’.”
One wonders what exactly that is supposed to mean. Whenever a description is that vague and meaningless, you can guess it covers up something shady.
In conclusion, the X post stated, “DOGE wishes the hardworking American taxpayers a great Labor Day weekend!”
DOGE also had an interesting contracts update last week, on August 24: “Over the last 5 days, agencies terminated 163 wasteful contracts with a ceiling value of $1.9B and savings of $647M, including, a $35M USAID contract to ‘acquire contractor support to establish and manage a flexible, quick response mechanism supporting activities that will support democracy and stability in El Salvador’, a $280k DOI contract for ‘horse mounted patrol groom services’.” You can bust your brains trying to figure out why the heck we would be funding horse mounted
(Excerpt) Read more at pjmedia.com ...
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Is this grooming the horses that the DOI used for patrol?
Because I can think of a good reason. You use the horses for government work they need to be cared for.
If it is not grooming horses owned and or used by the government then yeah, no reason.
But there are any number of places where it is better to patrol on horseback and places where your only options are horse back or foot.
I agree. the statement they made was vague.
I can translate this one:
“establish and manage a flexible, quick response mechanism supporting activities that will support democracy and stability in El Salvador”
means ‘fund CIA operations in El Salvador’; probably overthrowing the current government if they don’t play ball
Thanks to the terrific individuals at D.O.G.E. for exposing the waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars.
And doing Congress’ job
The riders can take care of their own mounts. Doesn't take that long to brush one down, clean its hooves, check for veterinary needs, and get it food and water. Hire some stable boys or girls to muck out the stalls and put down fresh straw or shavings if they don't want to do the work themselves.
“You use the horses for government work they need to be cared for.”
This.
You could require the officer to feed, water, and groom the horse but it makes sense to hire a less skilled worker to do it rather than taking the officer out of the saddle and off the street two hours a day doing stable chores.
If the officer has extra time, he/she should be in DEI school; but that is a horse of a different color.
YES
I love how DOGE is no longer scary because Elon isn’t running it, proving that all of the media and the judges were full of it and it had absolutely nothing to do with the law. They just didn’t want to have popular support for anything.
They can.... of course that will mean that they will have to ride shorter patrols. And who is caring for the spare mounts?
Makes no sense to me to have someone who is paid $35 a hour to ride patrol spend an hour or two of their duty time every day taking care of a horse when you could have someone you pay $15 a hour do it but you might calculate that differently.
I think you are missing the point here. This is likely in support of equestrian activities for the government elites
No, I think the story is missing information. That is why I asked the questions I did.
This is likely in support of equestrian activities for the government elites
Your proof of that is? Don't be shy. Share your information with the whole class.
First of all the DOI has horses? Surely the Department of Interior does. Why shouldn’t they fund their own mount care?
I know a DOI employee that has mounts and is a specialist farmed out to State agencies with specific needs. There is probably not more than a dozen like him and it takes $5,600 a week to care for their animals beyond the care he routinely provides. I think the contractor has a sweet deal for no work.
Where do you think the money for the DOI comes from?
” and a $48.7M USAID contract for ‘the Belarus Regional Initiative to provide transition activities in Belarus and other countries in Europe”
Interesting because Belarus is a VERY CONSERVATIVE country, socially, and I really doubt they want $50M in their country for ‘transitioning’ people. Perhaps USAID was doing this crap WITHOUT the approval of the government of Belarus? I would hope not, but with the Biden Girls, ANYTHING is possible.
we live in a Corruptocracy!
Apparently, IMHO, Catherine Salgado loves to ramble on and on (2 paragraphs worth) before getting to her point expressed in the title...
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