Office Depot, Microsoft bow to Bush's bargainer

U.S. News- Washington Whispers ^ | 06/02/03 | Paul Bedard

[Pokey78]

In what's likely to be his final bargain score before leaving, President Bush's budget chief Mitch Daniels has convinced Office Depot--and, soon, Microsoft--to give Uncle Sam bulk-rate discounts on the millions of dollars of goods the government buys each year. "Over time," says Bush's coupon-cutter, the savings will add up to "very significant money." He's talking hundreds of millions of dollars. When Daniels--who's resigning to run for governor of Indiana--arrived in Washington, he was shocked to discover that each agency had separate deals with suppliers. That meant higher prices. "In many cases," says Daniels, "government agencies have been buying at rates higher than a midsize corporate customer might be getting." Office Depot just inked a cost-cutting deal, and negotiations with Microsoft are about done. Officials applaud Office Depot's move, which should save taxpayers over $3 million a year. The Microsoft savings will dwarf that. To nail an agreement, Daniels met twice with Microsoft CEO Steven Ballmer. "He understood our concerns," says Daniels, sounding like The Godfather.

[Miss Marple]

Hopefully, he will be the next governor of Indiana. It will take him four years to straighten out the mess that the democrats have made in the Indiana budget.

Oh, and this is one of the things that we seldom hear about when pepople are griping about government waste. Good job, Mitch!

[MEG33]

He made him an offer he couldn't refuse?

[The Red Zone]

We get a good administrator in the fedguv and what happens... he QUITS.

[Miss Marple]

Josh Bolton will do ok as well.

Daniels can help by getting Republicans back in the statehouse here in Indiana.

And we are approaching a real crisis with our state budget. He is needed here; trust me!

[Buckeroo]

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"Officials applaud Office Depot's move, which should save taxpayers over $3 million a year." -- article

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WOW! Just three million dollars a year while the federal government costs taxpayers almost TWO TRILLION DOLLARS A YEAR! Will that three million dollars chip at the SEVEN TRILLION DOLLARS IN DEBT AMERICA faces caused by the political two-party structure?

[MEG33]

We should never be happy I know.Pardon our good feeling.

[Buckeroo]

Someone has to place things in perspective..... it is my civic responsibility.

[Miss Marple]

What? Do I see there a faint spark of humor?

We must be having a salutary effect on you...heheheh.

[The Red Zone]

Just the fact that someone in the administration is bothering to get all the Federal office costs on one sheet of paper is heartening. There must be a nauseating amount of waste and duplication in other areas, and this may bring them into the radar.

[Buckeroo]

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"Do I see there a faint spark of humor? " -- Miss Marple

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In a cents, yes.

[Buckeroo]

I will wager that the bloated federal government staff attempting to call this three million dollar savings is costing the US taxpayers more than TWENTY-FIVE MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR. It is called, "a dollar spent but a nickel saved" in economist circles.

[RippleFire]

bump

[q_an_a]

So what have you done lately to cut government spending? The WH cut the growth of the Corps of Engineers, the agreements like this one and Taxes...which will cut even more spending cause it cuts off the oxygen.