Feds Wasted Millions in Utilities Program for Poor
Miami (AP) - A government program that's supposed to help impoverished families heat and cool their homes wasted more than $100 million of taxpayer dollars paying the electric bills of thousands of applicants who were dead, in prison or living in million-dollar mansions.

The Department of Health and Human Services spent $5 billion through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program in 2009, doling out money to states with little oversight. An investigation by the Government Accountability Office ..... http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/68867

Hmmm. Reading the article it's clear the government is the victim of fraud. Further, it's also clear that the state governments were lacking in oversight of how the funds were distributed. So by claiming the federal government wasted millions as your title suggests, leads one to believe you find no fault with those that committed the fraud. You side with the criminal. That says a lot about you and what you post here.

The states, and in rare instances nonprofits, administer the program. The Feds occasionally do audits to see what's happening but the states are the responsible parties as they actually cut the checks.

If this were actually federal program like Social security it would be much easier to efficiently administer, but we had all the states rights folks - that reads republicans - who were adamant they would not allow such programs unless the states were in charge. So we have 50 different ways to do this and not enough oversight at any level. (When I was a Federal auditor we were so understaffed we didn’t look at 90% of all the funds spent. We would only go out if we were sure there was at least $5 million at risk and clear indication of problems. Is it any surprise this happens?

You want to stop this kind of waste? Triple the size of the GAO and you will get your money back with big dividends. They can always find all the waste you can imagine in defense programs.

It is not just the State Governments that are lax. This waste of tax payers money comes from putting the ilk of ex-ACORN employees in US Government management positions E.g.: Home Buyer Tax Credit Fraud

The problem with widely publicized tax credits like the home buyer tax credit is that people who don’t qualify — and know they don’t qualify — will apply for the credit. Many of these taxpayers, perhaps assisted by their tax preparers with or without their knowledge, will successfully convince the IRS to provide the tax credit, usually with fraudulent documentation.

An audit of the U.S. Treasury Department discovered that 1,300 state and federal inmates received an undeserved home buyer tax credit. It is true that you can buy houses from prison; in fact, many prisoners claimed and received the home buyer tax credit legitimately.

In total, The Treasury Department estimates that they are investigating 400,000 questionable claims. As you can imagine, this is making it difficult for legitimate home purchasers to claim the tax credit. When it was first offered the process of receiving the credit took about six weeks, but while the IRS was backlogged, it took up to six months judging from readers’ comments.

The Treasury Department, as a result of the 1,300 cases out of 400,000, wants federal, state, and local prisons to supply taxpayer information for all prisoners. Should tax returns filed by prisoners receive more scrutiny than the typical non-incarcerated taxpayer?

Prisoners, scammers profit on home-buyer tax credit, Andrea Coombes, Marketwatch, June 23, 2010

http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/home-buyer-tax-credit-fraud/

Millions of H1N1 swine flu vaccine doses to be burned

ATLANTA — About a quarter of the H1N1 swine flu vaccine produced for the U.S. public has expired — meaning that a whopping 40 million doses worth about $260 million are being written off as trash.
http://www.sheboyganpress.com/article/20100702/SHE0101/307020056/1062&located=rss

Again you point out where criminals have takend advantage of a program not intended for them. They committed fraud. Yet you seem to imply that had the government never instituted the program to help the under-privledged, the criminals wouldn't have committed the fraud. That's akin to saying if a woman hadn't worn that short skirt, she wouldn't have been raped. You continually strive to make the victim the culprit. Your moral compass is in need of self reflection.


I do give you credit, however, for pointing out the administration's concern for waste with the article on H1N1 vaccine. It clearly is fiscally responsible to destroy the vaccine no longer viable rather than waste money keeping it in storage. Further, it points out how the administration's actions at the onset of the H1N1 outbreak prevented a dangerous pandemic.

gh.....Would it be criminal to apply for home/car/boat loans that you knew were beyond a reasonable ability to repay? Or do you think that the foreclosures are a result of the banks and government?

Just who is it that signs all those contracts? And why would they be criminal in one instance, but not the other?

Personal responsibility is a tough pill to swallow, especially if one doesn't get what they want when they want.
I say these things knowing that using too big a paint brush paints some things not meant to be included, but unlike the "politico's", I realize that not ALL are like the "problems".