When the federal government started handing out $2,000 debit cards, I knew this would end well. Next we heard about the money being spent in strip clubs and on electronics. Looking back, it has lead to over $1,000,000,000 in fraud. That’s your money they gave away to criminals and cheats.
Of the nearly $7 billion in federal emergency aid spent to help victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, an estimated $1 billion was either stolen or wasted, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office.
As usual, the federal government has taken on a role it was never intended to fill, and has found new ways to waste money in the process. James Madison, the father of the Constitution, vetoed spending bills that gave away federal dollars to state governments because that wasn’t the role of the federal government. Now, we give two grand away to anyone who asks.
Prosecutors face a huge challenge. More than 100 fraud complaints still pour in each a week — on top of the thousands of others still being processed. “The numbers are unprecedented, but the effort is unprecedented,” said David Dugas, the U.S. attorney in Baton Rouge.
Watchdog groups wonder if the government will be able to handle all the cases before the statute of limitations runs out in the next three years. The Justice Department defends its efforts, saying 700 people have so far been convicted.
One question the ABC News failed to ask was how much money will be spent prosecuting those who wasted government money. Add that to the amount already wasted and ask yourself if this is how you want your money spent. I know I don’t.
