The heart of the problem, at the end of the day, is that there is no accountability.

I run my own business. If I make a foolish expenditure, it is either going to upset my client if I try and pass off the cost to him or the money is coming out of my pocket. Either way, it behooves me not to make foolish expenditures.

People who work for the government have know accountability. Whoever made the decision to pay $16 for muffins will not lose their job. This person should be fired for being stupid and/or giving someone a kickback, but they will not be.

Originally posted by mastahunta
Heck...

Darlin', you bring the Muffins and I'll supply the coffee.

$8 coffee?

you can create a cup of coffee for .$25 cents, max!

Think about health insurance; a hospital stay,

$40 dollar aspirin

I spend 8 bucks on a can of coffee that lasts me for about a month!

And I could probably bake 50 muffins for 16 bucks!

I am going into the muffin business. The muffin man is making a fortune!

And I wanted to be a nurse... What was I thinking???

Sorry but this seems like alot of small potatoes to me. Look at what the govt. spends secretly with no oversite at all on black projests that never see the light of day. Your talking billions on those projects a 16 dollar muffin seems like crying over a broken windowshield after your car has been flattened by a train.

I live and work in DC for the federal government.

It may not sound terrific for a conspiracy site but it is most likely not a conspiracy but rather pure ignorance and ineptitude.

You have a lot of people in charge of a lot of "free" money who do not understand where it came from or understand the responsibility in using it. Not all but enough. As a result, you get these stories of astronomically expensive muffins and everybody extrapolates that every tax payer dime is spent that way. The reality is not all, but enough.

Another facet is the volume of individuals who because of their position, assume an unjustified level of self-importance, worthy of $16 muffins. The $10 variety simply will not do. The Untermench consume the <$10 variety. Another layer: you have plenty of sycophantic underlings feeding the fire.

Probably the least sexy facet is the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing. As a result both hands' budgets chase the same goal. Both claim the need for the money in order to carry out their assigned tasks. Then it becomes a matter of poor management after that.

Can if be fixed? Sure, but by whom? Which business or home claims to run their budget perfectly? Can it improve? Absolutely but I do not see it happening in my lifetime. The faucet is either wide open or off. Folks have a hard time getting a happy middle ground working.

At least you can justify the $40 asprin. Liability mandates that a doctor has to proscribe the asprin, a pharmacist has to take it out of the container, verify that it is an asprin and place it in the paper cup. Somebody has to transport the asprin from the Pharmacy to the Nurse's Station, then the nurse has to deliver it to the patient. All of these people have to be paid, the asprin has to be purchased, delivered and added to inventory. That all costs. A company that I worked for did a cost study analysis that showed that it cost us $10 just to move a part from one work station to another. It didn't matter if we were moving one part or one thousand parts, it still cost $10.

What can't be justified is me being charged $7.50 for a 12 oz. cup of warm beer, in a stadium paid for with my tax dollars.

The fact that our tax money ends up in the pockets of politicians is totally absurd in itself, but oh no, insane amounts went to private companies too. Your tax money you pay should go to benefit the infrastructure. Roads, utilities, essential items critical to the public good. Everyone should pay the same tax rate as well, no breaks for the rich.

Government should be an idea, not a thing. A collective thought and process that keeps the country stable and functioning, made up of people who want to help, who want to make things better.

It doesn't take a $16 muffin to do whats right. It's time for these people to go.

Originally posted by JackBauer
The fact that our tax money ends up in the pockets of politicians is totally absurd in itself

How else are you going to pay them?

Your tax money you pay should go to benefit the infrastructure. Roads, utilities, essential items critical to the public good.

Agreed.

Everyone should pay the same tax rate as well, no breaks for the rich.

No. Taxation should be scaled progressively.

How else are you going to pay them?

Well now that i think about it, some of the money would have to go to them for their services. Although only at an acceptable rate, not some absurd 400k a year. Nothing they can do is worth that much.

No. Taxation should be scaled progressively.

Again, given time to think about this, i do see your progressive tax code being fair. The more a company makes, the more public resources they will use. (Wear on roads to deliver their goods, deliver their supplies. They would essentially use more than the general public and be responsible for more.

I know not to post extremely late now when my brain is asleep.