MetaFilter posts tagged with GAO

So...what are we doing there? Anyone? Anyone?

jourman2 — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:54:26 -0800

In a new GAO report it's noted that the Iraqi government will have a $79 billion dollar surplus by the end of the year (accumulated from 2005-2008). All of this is on top of the $48 billion dollars that the US has contributed to Iraq since 2005. “The Iraqi government now has tens of billions of dollars at its disposal to fund large scale reconstruction projects,” said Mr. Levin, who is chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, in the statement. “It is inexcusable for U.S. taxpayers to continue to foot the bill for projects the Iraqis are fully capable of funding themselves. We should not be paying for Iraqi projects, while Iraqi oil revenues continue to pile up in the bank,” Mr. Levin said.

Bin Laden Determined To Strike In U.S. Part 2

homunculus — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:45:43 -0800

"The United States Lacks a Comprehensive Plan to Destroy the Terrorist Threat and Close the Safe Haven in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas" (PDF). A recent GAO report claims that the Bush administration has failed to prevent Al Qaeda's reemergence in Pakistan, and that we're basically right back where we started in 2001.

US Debt, the gift that keeps on giving

rough ashlar — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 05:34:18 -0800

Borrow and spend, the delayed pain Ever thought of giving the future generations a little something to remember you by? How about the gift of debt? Whatever lens you want to look at the graph, you can blame the rise on: Out of control spending on the military or social programs; The end of the US being the swing producer of oil; Expensive wars; The money no longer being tied to gold or silver and instead being a fiat currency

No matter what the reason for the spending, the GAO warns: If the United States government conducts business as usual over the next few decades, a national debt that is already $8.5 trillion could reach $46 trillion or more, adjusted for inflation. Or If you don't like the graph due to the static nature, how about a clock so you can watch the numbers move upward?

ONDCP Ads Make Kids Want to Get High

Amy Phillips — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 10:06:47 -0800

GAO: Anti-Drug Ads Still Don't Work In 2002 , Drug Czar John Walters admitted that anti-drug advertising was failing and may have tempted more kids to try marijuana. He called for more rigorous testing of the ads. Now, the GAO has released a report showing that drug ads since 2002 have been equally ineffective. Young teens and girls who saw the ads were more likely to try pot. The White House kept the results of their latest study from GAO auditors for over a year, and Walters is now claiming that the testing he commissioned should be discounted because the effects of the campaign can't be measured through testing. The 2007 federal budget proposes $120 million for ONDCP anti-drug advertising.

Deafening silence over GAO e-voting report, new evidence of abuse.

dinsdale — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 13:18:57 -0800

Mainstream Media to American Democracy: Drop Dead! Brad Friedman ask alarming questions about the complete lack of attention which has been paid to the GAO report on electronic voting technology (PDF link) released more than a month ago, which confirms what security experts have been saying for years: these systems are vulnerable to multiple independent attacks targeting system and network vulnerabilities, access controls, hardware controls, and overall management practices. If you're short of time, at least read Rep. Waxman's fact sheet summary.

Ultimately, there is no real security on these machines; the report shows that overturning election results would not be at all difficult for even a single moderately skilled attacker. And now Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman are wondering if American Democracy has died an electronic death in the wake of massive discrepancies between final pre-election opinion polls and the results of several citizen initiatives designed to reform Ohio's electoral processes.

Covert Propaganda

digaman — Fri, 30 Sep 2005 19:54:07 -0800

Ethicsgate continues: Today, the bipartisan Government Accountability Office declared that the Bush administration broke the law by paying Armstrong Williams to write favorable columns about the No Child Left Behind Act, funneling public funds to a PR firm to sift through news stories and gauge media perception of Bush policies, and financing phony TV news reports giving the President's education policies "an A-plus," creating what the GAO called "covert propaganda." [Williams et. al. previously discussed here.]

Surely installing an illiberal crook in Iraq can't backfire, right?

Ignatius J. Reilly — Thu, 01 Apr 2004 15:14:28 -0800

With Ahmed Chalabi poised to take control of post-occupation Iraq--one year after the start of the war--Congress' General Accounting Office is beginning to ask questions about the operations of his Iraqi National Congress. A piece of evidence submitted by Chalabi was a list of 108 news items which were placed in mainstream media by INC-coordinated (and Pentagon-funded) defectors. Who are other Mefites' favorite fraudsters?

GAO: Pentagon sold biolab gear

Postroad — Mon, 06 Oct 2003 16:09:11 -0800

GAO: Pentagon sold biolab gear "The Defense Department sold equipment to the public that can be used for making biological warfare agents, according to a draft report by the General Accounting Office. " Next: Anthrax on EBay?

Cheney Stifled Energy Probe, GAO Investigators Say

Blake — Mon, 25 Aug 2003 17:45:33 -0800

Reuters and AP have stories on The final energy report from the GAO on Walker v. Cheney. You can see the Chronology of the GAO's Attempts [PDF] to Obtain Information from the National Energy Policy Development Group, and more at the GAO Site.
The General Accounting Office sued Vice President Cheney last year to obtain a list of officials from Enron and other companies who met with President Bush's energy task force.
Highlights or read the full report: GAO-03-894 "Energy Task Force: Process Used to Develop the National Energy Policy"

insomnyuk — Thu, 18 Jul 2002 07:25:43 -0800

The U.S. Army pays for lapdances. "In addition to the inappropriate purchases, the GAO said more than 1,200 Army employees wrote bad checks to pay their government credit card bills. Last year alone, that cost taxpayers $3.8 million in higher fees and lost rebates." You mean, the government practices bad accounting? Ron Paul points out that the Congress commits the worst accounting fraud of all. But the most important issue of all is, with the government paying for Strip Club tips, gambling, and wine, does this mean that God will no longer bless America?

Argyle — Tue, 11 Jun 2002 13:46:43 -0800

$9,324 The GAO concludes that some 'vandalism' took place in the Clinton to Bush White House transition. The total repair cost was $9,324. I wonder how much we spent on the GAO investigation and it's 220 page report. I bet it was more than $9,324. (via Drudge)

specialk420 — Mon, 18 Mar 2002 10:49:23 -0800

war on the environment part II how many of the closed door meeting mr. cheney is refusing to discuss with GAO were related to this?

jack-o — Wed, 27 Feb 2002 20:15:21 -0800

"A federal judge on Wednesday ordered the Energy Department to release thousands of records on Vice President Dick Cheney's energy task force, criticizing the government for moving at 'a glacial pace.' " Is anyone else interested in this? This is honestly the first time since Bush took office that I've felt optomistic about much. Anyone old enough to remember the look on Nixon's face as he stepped on to Marine One for the last time, when he turned to give the victory sign? The Vice President surely remembers, I wonder if he's thought of it lately?

kittyloop — Fri, 01 Feb 2002 13:11:18 -0800

Excellent summation of the Cheney/GAO tussle by someone who knows a thing or two about cover-ups: John Dean.

Pinwheel — Wed, 30 Jan 2002 08:47:45 -0800

GOP Will Fight GAO Lawsuit. Says Orrin Hatch, "the General Accounting Office, shouldn't be 'trying to impose disclosure on internal White House meetings to determine policy. ... If you have to do that, pretty soon there wouldn't be any meetings.'" This is going to be a tough move to defend come election time.

owillis — Wed, 18 Jul 2001 13:13:29 -0800

GAO to Cheney: "Show us what you got!" Ok, well it wasn't that dramatic, but this "demand letter" is one step away from giving the Veep a subpeona. Even right wing attack dog Judicial Watch is getting in with some hot lawsuit action.

owillis — Sun, 03 Jun 2001 13:16:32 -0800

Who's lying? The story that wouldn't die continues. "Most of the incidents described yesterday by White House press secretary Ari Fleischer were said to have occurred in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, adjacent to the White House. Pornographic or obscene greetings were left on 15 telephone lines in the offices of the vice president and White House counsel and in the scheduling and advance offices, Fleischer said. As a precaution, all phones were disabled and reprogrammed, he said."

OTOH, the GAO says it "could reach no further conclusions because the White House said it had no written record of damage".