E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSThe head of the General Services Agency resigned her post on Tuesday after reports surfaced that members of the GSA had spent excessive amounts of money on a training conference in Las Vegas.
In a written statement, White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew said President Obama was “outraged” when informed -- before his trip to South Korea -- of the $850,000 spent on the conference, detailed in a report by the GSA’s inspector general.
According to the inspector general’s report, first reported on by the Washington Post, the Oct. 2010 event included $147,000 for six planning trips to Las Vegas by a team of organizers, as well as $3,200 for a mind reader and $6,300 on a commemorative coin set.
“When the White House was informed of the Inspector General's findings, we acted quickly to determine who was responsible for such a gross misuse of taxpayer dollars,” Lew said, adding that the president was “outraged by the excessive spending, questionable dealings with contractors, and disregard for taxpayer dollars.”
In her resignation letter, GSA Administrator Martha Johnson said she had launched internal reviews and took disciplinary action after reports surfaced of the “conference in which taxpayer dollar were squandered” but that she still felt she had to resign “so that the agency can move forward at this time with a fresh leadership team.”
Leave a Comment:
Is the slogan; What happens in Vegas... stays in Vegas? lol
All kidding aside - good riddance Ms. Johnson, your management skills leave much to be desired!
So Obama was outraged by the excessive spending and disregard for tax payer dollars.
This coming from the guy who's schedule had nothing - zero - on his schedule last Wednesday, received his PDB at 10:00AM on Thursday followed by remarks at 10:45 AM and called it a day and did nothing but campaign on Friday (not even a PDB).
Cost of the 4 hours for AF1 (a guy who had 2 things on his schedule over a 3 day period just last week - check the President's Daily Schedule) ..... just one day .... about the amount this guy lost his job over.
please carrot top, don' make us laugh!
It is Obama's delegating and appointing skill that leaves much to be desired! His faux 'outrage' should extend to Eric Holder and the idiots who recommended financing bankrupt Solyndra and the support of the Chevy Volt!
I could also suggest he be more careful from who he accepts campaign donations from (see Corozine, Spike Lee et al).
But of course he won't do any of this as his massive ego won't allow him to recognize the fact that ultimately it is he who is responsible for his accolates actions! There is no sign on his desk that says "THE BUCK STOPS HERE!"
Please Sally, change your avatar - there is only so many times you can win the Jerry Seinfeld ugly baby contest... honey...
Oh Goodee! Sally knows where to find the cap lock key - you're Obama Derangement Syndrome is chronic dearie!
PS: Where is your posse? It's not like you to travel without protection! It's a shame you are incapable of standing on your own two feet & have to rely on others to bolster your nonsense! ;o)
@Sally Rocks classically..........
Your post is totally lacking in class or reality!
President Obama does take responsibility.....this is just one example of 'the buck stop with me'.....so unlike his predecesor who took responsibility for nothing, nada, zip!
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31259.html
Do you two folks realize that amount is spent in just under 5 MINUTES in Afghanistan? You know that unjustifiable conflict that about 70% of this country disagrees with...
5 minutes!
From the original Washington Post article: Organizers spent $835,000 on the event, which was attended by 300 employees. The
expenses included $147,000 in airfare and lodging at the hotel for six planning
trips by a team of organizers. Among the other expenses were $3,200 for a mind
reader; $6,300 on commemorative coin set displayed in velvet boxes and $75,000
on a training exercise to build a bicycle.
Truly unbelievable. In today's world of video conferencing, there is rarely a time when trips like this are necessary especially when the country is in the financial straits we are in.
Just about everything they blew money on should make everyone know that the very people in some of these agencies have total disregard for anyone to determine any wrong doing. Spending money on clowns, comedians; etc, was bad enough. But they spent $75K learning to build a bicycle? A bicycle?
Chastising the President for what happened as someone wrote is nonsense. His staff is doing what is necessary at this point to hold those who misused the money accountable. Not only has one resigned, but others have been fired. Hopefully they will also have to pay back the money they wasted on this little excursion.
I wouldn't blame this one on Obama.
This is an amazing example of how screwed up Washington is.
This systemic problem runs so deep that what I can only guess was several level of people had to approve these costs and no one thought there was anything wrong with them.
I keep reading here that Romney is out of touch with Middle America. Well guess what, so is Obama.
I defy anyone here to name me one person in Washington that has a clue about what it is like in Middle America.
Certainly no one in the chain of command at the General Services Agency.
President Obama is "outraged", how many times during the past 3 years has he been "outraged". Corruption is rampant in Washington and from my point of view it starts at the top.
ROMNEY 2012
@Sally Rocks classically..........
Your post is totally lacking in class or reality!
chilled 1.4, yet you see no problem with Feisty Redhead's response to Sally Rocks comment?
Yes, White Collar Auto Washington is totally screwed up these days....more so than ever before, and that's saying a lot. In the NY Times today there was an article about the Chinese. It seems they consider competition against us as a zero-sum game, with China the likely long - range winner if the American economy and domestic political system continues to stumble as it has for the last few years. Not a good sign with the bozos in DC incapable of turning things around...!
That money should have went to Karzai, wtf?
As usual, when unable to compete in a battle of wits the Nasty Redhead resorts to personal attacks... and this one against a baby!
NICE!
(show us the clown nose, fisty!)
What a joke, that pretty much says it all but you can read more here:
http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/100882
Wow I didn't think it was possible but you hit a new all time low with the baby comment Fiesty and shame on anyone that voted for that comment.
Obama says "the buck stops with me" as he continues to blame everyone and everything else for his failure to get the economy back on track and unemployment improved as he previously promised within 3 years in office.
He was outraged by the spending of the GSA head because it's bad pr for further government expansion.
Reading these posts this morning came as no surprise regarding the GSA story. Yet how did the subject of the First Family's vacations come up? EVERY First Family takes vacations, but in the GOP's eyes, it's not appropriate for the Obama family. And since Hawaii is gorgeous and a vacation destination for millions, it gives fuel to the Obama haters that anyone born in Hawaii - let alone a President! - must not be a USA citizen. It makes no difference where, when, how, or why the Obama family may go on vacation, the GOP will spit hatred. Yet, a President born in lets say Texas is welcome to go on vacation as much as he wants, of course the GOP supports that! But, how dare any Democratic President and/or his family take vacations!! Just WHO do the Obama's think they are?!?! You Obama haters must be miserable and obviously love sharing your misery/lies/hatred here on MSNBC. Please, take all of your blind hatred and go back to FOX.
Odd that not a word was ever spoken about the FAA spending several million for their management party in Georgia. I guess that was just the cost of doing business.
A clown and a mind reader; who knew it was the dress rehearsal for the G.O.P. convention? Seriously, the right people are being fired and the right message is being sent. As a former worker in the defense industry, I wish they would scrutinize the Pentagon to this level. That trough has no bottom.
Heck, 147K for 6 planning trips for the team?....
Guess one trip and telephones wouldn't have done it. Hope they all had fun 'cause it's gonna cost 'em, rightfully so!
Hiring someone to read your mind for 32 cents is being over billed. I do telephone massages if anyone is interested.
Flying pig? Cute.
the wings are very tasty
Fried?
Boiled or whatever ... this stuff happens in every country with an entrenched bureaucracy and will happen for time immemorial. Yawn.
LOL!
Meanwhile a few blogs over, "... a gunman killed seven people and wounded three others at a small Christian college in Oakland, Calif." Time to rewrite your second amendment and get rid of hand guns you stupid @!$%#S. How many Trayvons are you up to and it is only April.
Ideology,
Sadly, I have seen worse. Much worse.
Time to rewrite your second amendment and get rid of hand guns you stupid @!$%#S
All descent people in this country are outraged by the senseless killings that happen with guns. But I couldn't disagree more with you about re-writing the second amendment and getting rid of handguns.
The only people who would comply with any new law and voluntarily give up their guns are law abiding citizens. There is no doubt in my mind that anyone considering a crime that would require a firearm would never consider to relinquish their weapon. There is also no doubt in my mind that no gang bangers would be flocking to the nearest drop off site to give up their weapons.
I believe that far more people would be killed if people may not have a gun to defend themselves in home invasions, robberies; etc.
Just my opinion.
nomoresameo ... seeing as you live in a country with the most liberal gun laws in the world, are you blind to the fact that your country kills more of its own? Where is the rational that more guns are needed to protect the innocent? It does not work that way. Over the years you have flooded your land with more and more powerful guns capable of killing several in less than half a minute. Show me the statistics of unarmed home owners who have been killed compared to what happens on your streets every day. Your solution is to arm everyone ... go for it ... watch the homicide rate explode.
ideologyspoilstheview---Let me ask you this one question....If you were to put gun laws out there prohibiting the sales of weapons to the population at large who are the ones that are going to follow those laws? The answer is the everyday citizen. People who use guns for anything other than self protection or hunting are not going to follow that law . If they are willing to kill another person for no apparent reason what makes you think they will follow your gun law either. Another point is that in this country, as long as you are not a convicted felon and you follow all the required laws and safety requirements, a citizen will be able to buy a gun, period end of story and it will never change. The argument is a red herring. It is the Second Amendment to the constitution which also means it was pretty important to the founders to make sure this was followed. If you want an answer to your question though I would point you to the Crime Statistics for Texas, before and after they passed their conceal and carry law.
David, did the founders know what kind of guns would eventually be available? In those good old days it took a long time to load one shot, and the amendment was far more to defend against tyranny of government than it was to defend against a neighbor. They also wisely put in a provision to amend the Constitution.
I am pretty sure with the amount of forward thinkers, scientists, inventors, and intellectually superior minds that were involved in writing the constitution that this was something that they might have possibly thought about. What I find outrageous is your actually thinking that you came up with a scenario that they did not think about as far as advancement of weapons goes. Do you really think they thought the musket was the end all be all of weapons? That is your argument? Really are you that arrogant? These where men who saw what government and power could do to people who were not able to fight back, Syria, Iran and Egypt come to mind and I can assure you that our government will never make the mistake that those countries are making. Let me ask you this if our gun laws were in place in Egypt, Iran and Syria would those governments think twice before attacking their own citizens?
ideologyspoilstheview....
I'm sorry, but I have to continue to respectfully disagree on this issue. You have helped to make my point with each of your concerns.
You said: Over the years you have flooded your land with more and more powerful guns capable of killing several in less than half a minute. Yes. The weapons have been designed, bought/sold and in possession of people across the country already. As David-2425738 pointed out, the people contemplating using those weapons for an illegal act will never relinquish their weapons willingly.
You also said: Show me the statistics of unarmed home owners who have been killed compared to what happens on your streets every day. Again, as I said before, the thugs who use weapons to kill people are usually cowards. They will attack those who are unarmed or defenseless at the time. It is my contention that there are fewer home invasion murders because the thugs that would commit the crime don't know if the persons inside have a gun and if they would use it against them. How often do we read that there were "drive-by" killings? The attack today at the CA college and so many others of similar fashion? These murders were committed against unarmed, unsuspecting people. When a person is able to defend themselves, it turns the tables.
And fianlly you said: Your solution is to arm everyone ... go for it ... watch the homicide rate explode.
Well, it's not my solution and how could the rate increase? Anyone of legal age and not a felon, as far as I know, can arm themselves already; legally.
Let me ask you this if our gun laws were in place in Egypt, Iran and Syria would those governments think twice before attacking their own citizens?
David, absolutely not, they would be even more brutal.
Sorry if you found my question to be arrogant but it hardly reaches the arrogance of your response. We who live in other Democracies keep forgetting that yours is the Best.
Well that is funny because it was not until we provided our weapons to the the people of Egypt, that they started to fight back and eventually ousted their leader for turning on them, and just explain to me how you can be more brutal than to go house to house killing every man woman and child in the house? How does it get more brutal? What...would they impale the heads of the dead in the streets or something? How do you get more brutal than dead? You keep referencing the country you live in....I did not say our system is better than yours, did I? But if you don't mind what is the country your are living in, just so I can understand where your coming from. I have done nothing but DEFEND my own country from the posts you have put up. I forgot how great your country is considering if you are anywhere in Europe you would not have a country if it was not for us because Hitler would still be the leader. France is the only one that can say a damn thing because if it were not for there help who knows where we would be considering the revolutionary war.
Idiologyspoilstheview,
We have lost our right to privacy with the Patriot act, lost our right to due process with NDAA, lost our right to protest with HR347. Now you want us to give up our constitutional right to bear arms? Why don't you just move to Russia, they have already done all this. You obviously have no regard for the constitution. No wonder you support Obama.
Uh, does this mean the wife needs to worry?
Spain. Aspen, las Vegas. . .
Finally, something you are all too familiar with... ☺
How dare Mrs. Obama take a vacation? How dare she live in a world where terrorism is such that the First Lady of the U.S., whatever her husband's party, is such a target for terrorists that she can't travel without security?
No Joe---this is the place where you usually quote your fictional costs of Mrs. Obama's travels---you forgot to insert that lie.
No one thinks Mrs Obama cant have a vacation.
However, she seems to take quite a few, to very exotic and expensive locales.
But Steeler is an Obama poodle and will never criticize them...for anything.
PAID for by the Obama's - do you have a point here or are you just pissing and moaning as usual?
Boob - you really... really need to keep your scheduled appointments for your regularly invasive probes...
Otherwise, you come across as nothing more then a bitter old man who has waaaay too much time on his stained/sticky hands! ;o)
Say, all BLOW - why don't YOU give us an insight into your expertise?
Mr. Haven't had any in years from you, has to be a monumental source of information...
Dear Donna, why does the cat have your tongue now?
Like the old saying goes - a happy wife is a happy life so WTF happened in your house?
Feisty, once again you are just out there telling lies. None of the trips that Mrs. Obama took overseas where paid for by the Obama's....;NONE!!!! I DARE you to prove me wrong, with actual fact to back up your statement. I know you won't, you will just come up with what you think is some cute witty line that deflects from the actual argument, while you belittle anyone who disagrees with you. Your avatar says it all and that is exactly what you are. You attack people constantly on this website and I don't understand how you get away with it, but hey I guess life is just not always fair is it? I would challenge you to actually add to the conversation for a change instead of just throwing one liners meant to disrupt the conversation and to piss people off. It is funny how you pigeon hole people every chance you get yet from the amount of posts you put out on this site alone I would believe that you are the sad, lonely, frustrated, single women who has fought for liberalism her whole life and bought in hook, line, and sinker and now asking and wondering to yourself why is it that I can only dream about what it truly means to have a happy life with a happy wife."
Ha, Red raging on people and in turn she has major issues. Hey Red did your 27yr old daughter get a job yet? Kind of sucks when you can't support her with health care and her cats. Speaking of cats, you still running that kennel in your basement? Did she find a boy friend yet? Been married 20yrs and have a 27yr old daughter. Is he the baby daddy? haha Hey did you take down that twitter picture of you showing your what you call breasts? Looks like two wet socks full of sand......yeah this is from a person that on this site 12-18 hours a day seven days a week and you say you have a life?
David - you just made Feisty's day! Way to take the bait
The Obama's pay for their own expenses, but the protection is paid by us. If they did not pay for their own expenses there would be a law suit by the birthers (or any of the other Obama haters that regularly make stuff up).
Stick around and enjoy the hate Ma. This person is a bitter old woman who rushes to judgement on things she doesn't know anything about.
"The Obama's pay for their own expenses,"
That's not true blearyeyed and it has nothing to do with birthers or any other group. Even if they get gifts and if they decide to keep them they have to pay a tax on it.
According to ABC news as of August 2011 The Obama's have spent over 10 million TAX PAYER dollars on vacations and that is not even including the Tax Payer paid for 4 million dollar trip to Hawaii in December. I did not know he had money to blow like that. It would appear to me that Obama is out of touch because I would love to spend 14 mill a year of tax payer money on my vacations. Just a curious thought though, why is it that our President took his family for vacation in another country? Not saying that they should not vacation in another country but you are only going to be in office for 4-8 years, why would you not promote local sites to vacation in. Are our vacation spots not good enough for them? Just a curiosity for me.
blearyeyed--I did not make fiesty's day, no one can do that she is eternally spiteful, but what I did do is back up my statement with facts that you can look up for yourself instead of spewing lies meant to disrupt and change a conversation. I would urge you too to look up things before you write lies down. Tax payers did pay for protection and the Obama's did pay for part of their bill but it adds up to a total of about 5 % of the total bill. Where would he get that kind of money anyway? He was a community organizer before a senator and the president only makes about 400k so how could he pay for that kind of vacation? Hell his house in Chicago is only like 1.2-3 mill right?
David,
Good call, Feisty has no proof at all to back that claim and can't find any because it is a lie. Asking her or proof of her statement is the best way to expose her, works every time. She just doesn't get the fact that once you resort to name calling you have lost the intellectual argument. Or perhaps she just does n't understand what an intellectual argument is in the first place
I do not understand, why is the president is just now outraged. Stories about this waste have been coming out for the last few years, and just now during election year he is doing something about it. Probably after election he will appoint her again, just like how is going to deal with the Russians.
He only becomes outraged when the story has a high enough profile and if his competition may try to use it against him.
on the government web page it asys:
What a joke, that pretty much says it all but you can read more here:
http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/100882
Do you really think he didn't know what was going on until now?
Another ugly performance by an Obama appointment.
I didn't think Obama could screw up worse than he did with Van Jones ( Communist ), Tim Geightner ( Tax Cheat now over the IRS - lol ) Eric Holder ( unlimited errors -- the worst fighting to try terrorists in civilian courts ,, he was confident the trials would be held in NYC ) but my favorite Obama Flub,,, Joe Biden , our Comedian VP who looks senile :-)
the president was “outraged by the excessive spending, questionable dealings with contractors, and disregard for taxpayer dollars.”
So Obama is ending his crooked green energy scams? Great!
This type of abuse happens under both Democrat and Republican control of D.C. It's one of many reasons I favor having as small a Federal Government as is reasonably practical (which is NOT what we currently have, thanks to the enormous expansion of the scope and size of our Federal Government that is the fault of BOTH parties !!) .
I'm glad she quit, but it would have been far better if she had shown some fiscal restraint and this incident had never occurred !!
If only that damned Obama would give all those billions of dollars in subsidies to the oil industry, instead of the green energy maybe we could have $5.00 a gallon for gas.it's just like that Obama when he was sworn into office we were creating 750,000-800,000 jobs per month and he just screwed everything up,now 3yrs of steady job loses and we should re-elect the Job destroying OBAMA !If only there was some sanity in this world,Please Mr. Mittens do for America what you did for Mass.
Obama or the Government gave NO money to any oil company...... the "subsidies" as the left like to label them are tax deductions for business expenses.......like drilling and exploration.
What a joke, that pretty much says it all but you can read more here:
http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/100882
The GSA....who is supposed to manage the efficient use of taxpayer money......appointed by the same Administration that has run $Trillion plus deficits for three years and a fourth on the way. Add the GSA, DOE, DOJ, and EPA.......these people are killing our economy with mismanagement and incompetence!!!!!!
The bigger the government the bigger the problems.
What use is Obama expressing outrage after almost 1 Million $ of taxpayer money is blown away in Vegas.
And this is the president who advocated against gambling in Vegas.