Post New Article

Feds’ $4.6B furniture splurge is beyond-telling
abuse of taxpayer funds

Original Article

Posted By: mc squared, 4/12/2025 11:58:18 AM

One thing Americans can be sure of: At any given time, somewhere out there, a government decision-maker is finding new and inventive ways of flushing your hard-earned cash. The latest: Government watchdog OpenTheBooks found that the feds spent an eye-popping $4.6 billion on new furniture and decorations for government buildings since October 2020, even though only half the federal workforce was consistently showing up for work in person as of last year. In 2023, the Government Accountability Office found that 17 of 24 federal agencies used 25% or less of their headquarters’ buildings.

Comments:

Imagine if all of us could just write checks for everything and know they won't bounce because the funds comes from 'somewhere else'. I still don't know which agency controls the spending of all the others.

Post Reply

Reminder: “WE ARE A SALON AND NOT A SALOON”

Your thoughts, comments, and ideas are always welcome here. But we ask you to please be mindful and respectful. Threatening or crude language doesn't persuade anybody and makes the conversation less enjoyable for fellow L.Dotters.


Reply 1 - Posted by: IdSpud 4/12/2025 12:06:33 PM (No. 1931350)
The sad part is I suspect that there will be no accountability for any of this waste (and I suspect fraud). There will just be a report and then it will be business as usual. When a new administration comes in, especially if it's a democratic one, it will go back to what it was before.
21 people like this.

Reply 2 - Posted by: BeatleJeff 4/12/2025 12:07:21 PM (No. 1931351)
This was a common tactic throughout my Fed career - you got unspent funds, buy furniture. Otherwise, if you have unspent funds this year, your future allocations will be slashed.
24 people like this.

Reply 3 - Posted by: czechlist 4/12/2025 12:18:11 PM (No. 1931362)
Federal government empoylent grew by 900,000 under bidet.Why? It was his "jobs program".They are likely most of the people DOGE is eliminating. I worked at a major defense company for 35 years. One of the more powerful people was the Facilities staff who oversaw furnishing. Need a new chair? Who the heck are you and what can you do for me? I couldn't get a decent chair until I became a manager.
12 people like this.

Reply 4 - Posted by: bpl40 4/12/2025 12:19:08 PM (No. 1931363)
In the phone company we used to buy expensive paintings and art works for our offices. As our allowed revenue was based on the previous years' asset base the auditors in fact encouraged it.
11 people like this.

Reply 5 - Posted by: Northcross 4/12/2025 12:23:17 PM (No. 1931369)
No doubt muost of the furniture was made in China. Just part of the deal.
17 people like this.

Reply 6 - Posted by: slipstik 4/12/2025 12:23:50 PM (No. 1931371)
What in thee hail is a "solar powered picnic table"? Is that some "green" thang, like a windmill driven window shade?
11 people like this.

Reply 7 - Posted by: mean Gene 4/12/2025 12:26:52 PM (No. 1931375)
And where does all that "old" furniture go? No doubt it is filling the homes of gov't employees, past and present.
13 people like this.

Reply 8 - Posted by: jalo1951 4/12/2025 1:10:27 PM (No. 1931400)
And how much of this "free money" is being routed into the bank accounts of politicians and their butt kissing minions? And I am still waiting for a dem of stature and influence (oh, wait, there isn't one) to come out and say they agree that there is too much waste, abuse and fraud and they are on board for the ride to clean it up. With all the laundered money floating around we should just have a tax holiday for the next year or two once it is cleaned up. Every agency should be on a tight budget and audited every fiscal year with receipts of where every cent was spent.
9 people like this.

Reply 9 - Posted by: Krause 4/12/2025 1:25:45 PM (No. 1931405)
‘It’s as if the Dems have no business knowledge at all.’
3 people like this.

Reply 10 - Posted by: paral04 4/12/2025 1:36:56 PM (No. 1931409)
Where was the Government Accounting Office? Isn't it their job to monitor the spending? If this were a private business it would not be happening. We taxpayers need to start getting serious about who we vote into office.
4 people like this.

Reply 11 - Posted by: nwcudagal 4/12/2025 1:45:12 PM (No. 1931416)
I used to work for County govt. and just before I left a few of the county employees actually looted the furniture. Furniture that had been in the Courthouse for decades, perhaps since the birth of the County in the 1800's.
2 people like this.

Reply 12 - Posted by: john56 4/12/2025 1:46:00 PM (No. 1931418)
And most of it was bought from the Pelosi and Biden Furniture Company.. With an occasional ottoman from the McConnell Furniture Store.
6 people like this.

Reply 13 - Posted by: cor-vet 4/12/2025 2:11:09 PM (No. 1931426)
I wonder if this furniture had the normal 200% mark-up or was it more because it was the government making the purchase? I'm guessing more, much like the defense departments $100 hammers and $600 toilet seats.
5 people like this.

Reply 14 - Posted by: preciosodrogas 4/12/2025 2:25:19 PM (No. 1931430)
So this is where AG Fanni got her bling bag attitude, going through her office handing out Apples and lots of goodies. That was federal money. Has she been charged yet for misappropriation of federal grant money?
7 people like this.

Reply 15 - Posted by: daisey 4/12/2025 2:26:37 PM (No. 1931431)
I wonder how much of the furniture ended up in private homes of government workers?
10 people like this.

Reply 16 - Posted by: whyyeseyec 4/12/2025 4:06:08 PM (No. 1931461)
This type of taxpayer abuse goes on at every level of government. In my local area, we have had 4 school superintendents in the past five years. Every time a new person occupies that position, they are given a budget for new office furniture, drapery, laptops, etc. These 'budgets' are taken advantage of, while the previous furniture items are transferred to a warehouse for storage. Multiple items of new furniture lying in storage for years, collecting dust. If all of our wasted tax dollars could be clawed back from 50 states since the turn of the 21st Century, we could come close to erasing our national debt overnight.
5 people like this.

Reply 17 - Posted by: Philipsonh 4/12/2025 7:23:43 PM (No. 1931506)
During my 21 years as a Federal employee, all new furniture was purchased from the prison system. It was NOT elite/expensive furniture. However, nearing the end of the budget years, purchases were made just so the agency budget would not be cut for the next year.
2 people like this.

Reply 18 - Posted by: Lawsy0 4/13/2025 7:27:17 AM (No. 1931619)
Some of the prettiest furniture, i.e., best finished and/or upholstered, came from state prison industry. It couldn't be sold on open market, but was used to furnish state offices in all counties. There's more to prison industry than hammering out license plates (but that's a good start and probably a myth).
1 person likes this.

Below, you will find ...
Most Recent Articles posted by "mc squared"
and
Most Active Articles (last 48 hours)
Most Recent Articles posted by mc squared"
Feds’ $4.6B furniture splurge is beyond-telling
abuse of taxpayer funds
18 replies
Posted by mc squared 4/12/2025 11:58:18 AM Post Reply
One thing Americans can be sure of: At any given time, somewhere out there, a government decision-maker is finding new and inventive ways of flushing your hard-earned cash. The latest: Government watchdog OpenTheBooks found that the feds spent an eye-popping $4.6 billion on new furniture and decorations for government buildings since October 2020, even though only half the federal workforce was consistently showing up for work in person as of last year. In 2023, the Government Accountability Office found that 17 of 24 federal agencies used 25% or less of their headquarters’ buildings.
New: Jasmine Crockett's Off the Rails
Comment About Illegal Aliens and Your Groceries
8 replies
Posted by mc squared 4/11/2025 11:47:35 AM Post Reply
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) seems intent on seeking the record for most unhinged comments from a Democrat. She's certainly had some whoppers just this week alone. As I reported on Wednesday, there was this unhinged remark where she said we needed "immigrants" [translation: illegal aliens] to do work she compared to slave labor. "So I had to go around the country and educate people about what immigrants do for this country, or the fact that we are a country of immigrants. [snip] President Donald Trump responded that if this was the Democrats "new star," they were in "serious trouble."
Flailing: Democrats Scream 'Insider Trading'
After Trump Moves Markets
7 replies
Posted by mc squared 4/10/2025 12:58:43 PM Post Reply
Hours before Trump announced his pause on tariffs, he posted a clear signal to everybody that it was a great time to buy stocks. The market was way down and didn't pop for hours, and when he dropped his official announcement that he would be pausing tariffs on all countries but China, the market went nuts, and a lot of money was made. Out of this set of facts the Democrats have concocted the most bizarre conspiracy theory in the world so far. It is so convoluted, so bizarre, and so implausible that "NASA faked the moon landing with Stanley Kubrick" sounds pretty rational and easy to accomplish.
DOGE Official Confirms What We've Known
All Along: Illegal Immigrants Are on Medicaid
and Voting
16 replies
Posted by mc squared 4/8/2025 2:37:52 PM Post Reply
Democrats love to portray themselves as the compassionate ones. They just want to help people, especially the poor and downtrodden. When you ask them about illegal immigration, they will tell you that these are just poor people looking for a better life for themselves and their families. That's why they were perfectly okay with a wide-open southern border and letting millions of people into the country. It was all about compassion. However, as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) continues to dig into the twisted story of America's finances, we are finding out that the compassion ruse is just that, another Democrat party scheme.
The 'rabid' Nazis on American soil - and
Hitler's ruthless revenge when the US
ended their reign of terror
6 replies
Posted by mc squared 4/6/2025 3:39:24 PM Post Reply
As World War II raged, the US became the reluctant home for hundreds of thousands of Nazi soldiers – many still rabidly loyal to Hitler and determined to keep fighting for him at any cost. Even if it meant murdering their own comrades in cold blood. Living in more than 600 hastily set-up POW camps, scattered in small farm towns across rural America, nearly 400,000 German soldiers settled into their new routine – enjoying a set up so comfortable, many dubbed the camps the Fritz Ritz.[snip] the most dangerous Nazis carried on the war from inside the barbed wire, establishing small but devoted enclaves of Nazi Germany on American soil.
State appeals court rules contested North
Carolina ballots must be verified
8 replies
Posted by mc squared 4/6/2025 1:20:21 PM Post Reply
The 60,000 contested ballots in the North Carolina state Supreme Court race should be recounted and verified, according to a ruling Friday from a panel of the state appeals court. The 2-1 ruling is a win for Republican state Court of Appeals Judge Jefferson Griffin, who is trailing incumbent Democratic Justice Allison Riggs by fewer than 1,000 votes. Riggs and the Democratic Party declared victory months ago after all the votes counted had her ahead, but Griffin has challenged the validity of certain ballots for various reasons, pursuing a lawsuit that’s prevented the state elections board from certifying Riggs as the winner five months after Election Day.
Gov. Hochul Signs Bill Allowing Credit
Cards to Track Ammo Purchases
20 replies
Posted by mc squared 4/6/2025 12:00:49 PM Post Reply
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed new controls into law last week, including one that allows credit cards to track ammunition purchases. She described the ammunition control as one that “[refines] how credit card companies track purchases at gun dealerships.” Hochul noted, “This gives law enforcement the opportunity to find out exactly who may be stockpiling ammunition. And this is an indicator that something untoward could be happening, so it’s an important data point for us to have.” North Country Now pointed out the credit card tracking will occur via the use of a new merchant code,
Fundraiser for Texas football star Austin
Metcalf’s accused killer rakes in $60,000
as he claims self-defense
16 replies
Posted by mc squared 4/6/2025 11:54:53 AM Post Reply
A fundraiser for the Texas teen accused of fatally stabbing Austin Metcalf and leaving him to die in his twin brother’s arms has raked in over $60,000 as of Sunday — as the teen maintains he acted in self-defense. The GiveSendGo campaign was purportedly set up by the family of Karmelo Anthony, 17, who cops say confessed to the horrific stabbing at a track meet in Frisco, Texas, last Wednesday.[snip] The company, which also hosted a fundraiser that brought in hundreds of thousands for Daniel Penny’s legal defense after he was charged in the NYC subway chokehold death,
WHOA: Tucker Carlson Reveals He “Immediately”
Sold His Truck After Spotting a ‘Disturbing’
Message on Vehicle’s Infotainment Screen (VIDEO)
6 replies
Posted by mc squared 4/6/2025 11:41:50 AM Post Reply
Tucker Carlson caused a stir in a recent interview that may cause some Americans to do a double take on the vehicles they are driving. During an interview with automotive designer and internet personality Casey Putsch last week, Tucker mentioned that he is a lifelong fan of Chevrolet trucks but felt he had to “immediately” sell his latest one after spotting a disturbing message on the car’s dashboard. “I bought a truck last year…A Chevy truck, which I’ve always had, and I was at a gas station, he said. “And all of a sudden at a gas station, it says, ‘Stop, we’re downloading information from the internet.'”
Karmelo Anthony’s lawyer says murder
of teen football star Austin Metcalf could’ve
been ‘self defense,’ wants $1M bond lowered
23 replies
Posted by mc squared 4/5/2025 6:29:30 PM Post Reply
The attorney for Karmelo Anthony, the 17-year-old accused of murdering football star Austin Metcalf at a Texas track meet, insists he doesn’t have “any reason” to think the killing “wasn’t in self defense” — and will request the teen’s bond be lowered from $1,000,000.[snip] he was charged with fatally stabbing Metcalf, also 17, and leaving him to die in his twin brother’s arms during the athletic event in Frisco Wednesday morning. After briefly meeting with the teenager for the first time on Friday afternoon, Anthony’s attorney Deric Walpole told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth that at this point in time he believes his client acted in self defense
DC Judge: No Stay. Mann Must Pay. Lawfare Guide 11 replies
Posted by mc squared 4/4/2025 11:53:48 AM Post Reply
Yesterday afternoon (4/3) Judge Irving of the DC Superior Court denied Michael E. Mann's request to stay enforcement of the half million-dollar judgement he has been order to pay National Review: Here, Dr. Mann does not give any specifics as to his assets, net worth, or liquidity in support of his request.... Nor did the trial record establish the extent of Dr. Mann's assets, net worth, or liquidity at present: The only substantiated figures were drawn from Dr. Mann's W-2s from 2012 to 2017, showing an annual income of at most $198,877.40....Dr. Mann's perfunctory and unsubstantiated assertions plainly do not meet his burden
Honeypot Ban: U.S. Warns Staff in China
to Avoid Romance or Sex with Locals
7 replies
Posted by mc squared 4/3/2025 1:19:45 PM Post Reply
The U.S. government has issued a sweeping diktat prohibiting American diplomats, their families and security-cleared contractors in China from engaging in romance or sex with Chinese citizens. The Associated Press reported on the move, citing four people with direct knowledge of the decoupling policy which was put into effect by departing U.S. Ambassador Nicholas Burns in January shortly before he left China. The “no sex” policy applies to staff at the U.S. embassy in Beijing and consulates in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenyang and Wuhan, as well as the consulate in Hong Kong. U.S. personnel stationed outside China or those already in pre-existing relationships with Chinese citizens might be exempt,
Most Active Articles (last 48 hours)
Yellen: ‘Trump Tariff Plans Are Doing
Immense Damage to Our Economy’
21 replies
Posted by ladydawgfan 4/12/2025 3:15:12 PM Post Reply
Former Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen claimed Friday on CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360” that President Donald Trump’s tariffs are doing “immense damage to our economy.” Yellen said, “This is the worst self-inflicted policy wound I’ve ever seen in my career inflicted on our economy. The Trump tariff plans are doing immense damage to our economy. You can see that in the stock market, in the impact of these tariffs are expected to have on American households. And we’re even beginning to see what looks like a flight away from dollar-based assets in the financial markets, which is a really scary development.” Cooper said, “How long?
Feds’ $4.6B furniture splurge is beyond-telling
abuse of taxpayer funds
18 replies
Posted by mc squared 4/12/2025 11:58:18 AM Post Reply
One thing Americans can be sure of: At any given time, somewhere out there, a government decision-maker is finding new and inventive ways of flushing your hard-earned cash. The latest: Government watchdog OpenTheBooks found that the feds spent an eye-popping $4.6 billion on new furniture and decorations for government buildings since October 2020, even though only half the federal workforce was consistently showing up for work in person as of last year. In 2023, the Government Accountability Office found that 17 of 24 federal agencies used 25% or less of their headquarters’ buildings.
Prince Harry's 'worst fears' realized
in UK security battle
17 replies
Posted by Harlowe 4/12/2025 12:52:03 AM Post Reply
Prince Harry’s security woes appear to be taking an emotional toll on the royal. As the legal battle over his right to police protection in the U.K. intensifies, Harry’s concerns about his safety have been brought to the forefront. [Snip] While Harry fought for security to protect his family in the U.K., his wife enjoyed a night out in New York City. The Duchess of Sussex arrived in the Big Apple in a four-vehicle motorcade. An unmarked NYPD car accompanied Markle on her 1.5-mile journey, as she grabbed dinner at the Polo Bar in Midtown Manhattan with friends before heading to the Broadway production of "Gypsy"...
Left Has a Meltdown After White House
Moves Pic of Obama, Replaces It With Much
More Powerful One
15 replies
Posted by ladydawgfan 4/12/2025 4:07:44 AM Post Reply
What would the left do if they weren't screaming about something? They could be celebrating the rescue of an American Ksenia Karelina, who had been wrongfully detained by the Russians -- until the Trump team got her out. Or inflation dropping to its lowest point in four years. But instead, Friday's meltdown involved portraits at the White House. The White House announced the addition of this powerful moment when President Donald Trump -- after being shot in the ear -- stood up amid the Secret Service agents and shouted, "Fight, fight, fight!"
DHS Chief Kristi Noem Announces All Adult
U.S. Citizens Must Have REAL ID to Fly
Starting May — Here Are Other Forms
of Identification You Can Use
14 replies
Posted by Imright 4/12/2025 6:00:49 PM Post Reply
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has announced that effective May 7, 2025, all adult U.S. citizens must present a REAL ID-compliant form of identification or a valid passport to board domestic flights and access federal facilities. This enforcement marks the culmination of the REAL ID Act, originally passed in 2005 following the 9/11 Commission’s recommendations to enhance the integrity and security of state-issued identification documents. ​ On December 17, 2018, President Trump signed the REAL ID Act Modification for Freely Associated States Act, Public Law 115-323.
Woke Former Anheuser-Busch Exec Blamed
for Tanking Brand Has New Role at Saudi
Funded LIV Golf
14 replies
Posted by Imright 4/12/2025 10:50:22 AM Post Reply
In 2023, woke Bud Light Vice-President of Marketing Alissa Heinerscheid made a disastrous decision that canned her career and coined a new phrase for destroying a brand. No one wants to be the next “Bud Light.” Heinerscheid greenlighted a partnership with a transgender influencer, Dylan Mulvaney, that led to massive pushback from the public and a widespread boycott that cost the company, by some estimates, a staggering $1.4 billion. After a leave of absence, Heinerscheid was out at the company. Heinerscheid appears to have recently updated her LinkedIn profile, announcing a new role, Team Business Operations, at the Saudi-funded LIV Golf.
Don't Waste Your Time: Iran's Mullahs
Will Not Abandon Their Nuclear Program
14 replies
Posted by Mercedes44 4/12/2025 7:29:37 AM Post Reply
Tehran has played this game before: Agree to talks. Make vague promises. Extract sanctions relief. Then quietly continue nuclear development under the radar. This formula has worked for more than two decades. Right now, the only reason Iran is talking is to stall, to promise just enough to prevent America from striking it -- "We are almost there!" -- to keep its regime and avoid seeing its uranium centrifuges and enrichment sites blasted to rubble. The regime does not want war -- but it also cannot accept total nuclear disarmament.
Americans Skeptical Of Climate Change
Movement, Support ‘Rolling Back’ Green
Rules: I&I/TIPP Poll
13 replies
Posted by gaboy 4/12/2025 10:38:46 AM Post Reply
What looked like the Green Movement’s unstoppable momentum has stalled out recently, as Americans rethink the costs of some of the more draconian proposals to rid the world of industrial carbon dioxide. As skepticism grows, the movement to slash CO2 at all costs also may be nearing an end, the latest I&I/TIPP Poll shows. Americans have become increasingly wary of the “net zero” and other modern-day green movements after so many of their doom-filled prophecies of imminent environmental disaster failed to come true.
Behind the Scenes Video Shows Karoline
Leavitt Praying Before Heading Out to
Drop the Hammer on Reporters
13 replies
Posted by Dreadnought 4/12/2025 10:24:30 AM Post Reply
A video shared by a White House staffer captures press secretary Karoline Leavitt praying to Jesus for guidance before she heads out to another press briefing to take on the reporters in the room. Leavitt has often cited her Catholic education for instilling discipline and making her the confident woman she is today. “Lord Jesus, please give us the strength, the knowledge, the ability to articulate our words, have fun and be confident. In Jesus’s name. Amen," she says while waiting behind the entrance to the briefing room.
Gen. Mike Flynn Joins Chorus of Trump
Allies Demanding Answers from Pam Bondi
and Kash Patel on When Are We Going to
See Arrests
11 replies
Posted by Imright 4/12/2025 11:36:47 PM Post Reply
Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, President Trump’s former National Security Advisor and a central figure in the Obama-era Crossfire Hurricane scandal, is once again turning up the heat on key players in the conservative movement, publicly demanding answers from Trump allies Pam Bondi and Kash Patel about long-promised justice. In a post on X Thursday, Flynn shared a clip from his must-watch documentary movie FLYNN—Deliver the Truth, Whatever the Cost, calling on the American public to watch the film and understand the depth of corruption he endured at the hands of a “rigged system.” “Newly declassified Crossfire Hurricane documents reveal the corruption General Flynn faced.
CNN Data Analyst STUNNED That Republicans
Are Replacing Democrats as the Party That
Cares About the Working Class (VIDEO)
11 replies
Posted by Imright 4/12/2025 7:02:04 AM Post Reply
CNN data analyst Harry Enten did a report this week in which he was stunned to reveal that the Republican party is replacing the Democrats as the party of the working class and the party that cares more about average Americans. This shift has been building for years but became especially apparent during the 2024 election, as Donald Trump made huge gains among average Americans of every color and ethnicity. The Democrats have made their problem worse by defending the radicals that Trump is trying to deport. Democrats have also become fierce defenders of Wall Street in recent weeks as the debate about tariffs has unfolded.
Wrong, Colonel, the Concerns Are Yours! 10 replies
Posted by ladydawgfan 4/12/2025 4:01:53 PM Post Reply
If you grow up in a military family, like I did, you don't just learn the rank structure or how to fold a flag. You grow up with an inherent respect for duty, service, and the rules that govern both. One of the biggest rules? Keep your politics to yourself when you're in uniform. So when the story broke this week about the 821st Space Base Group commander at Pituffik Space Base in Greenland being relieved of duty after a snarky, partisan email targeting U.S. Vice President JD Vance, I wasn’t surprised. I was disgusted. Colonel Susan Meyers, in a wildly inappropriate and insubordinate move, decided to flex her self-righteousness
Post New Article