'Shutdown' Day 7: Government Buys $47,174 Mechanical Bull

Perfect Metaphor for Government - FULL OF BULL

(CNSNews.com) - The government shutdown may be keeping furloughed federal workers at home, but on Monday the U.S. Army contracted to buy a mechanical bull.

The $47,174 contract was awarded on Oct. 7 to Mechanical Bull Sales Inc. of State College, Penn.

According to the General Services Administration (GSA) listing, the National Guard of Utah made the request for a “bull which needs to be durable and low maintenance.”

The bull that was sold to the Utah National Guard should meet any state safety requirements. The Mechanical Bull Sales website says, “Our mechanical bulls are approved for use in all 50 states and Canada. This includes: Pennsylvania, New Jersey and California which have stringent safety requirements for amusement rides.”

Lt. Col. Hank McIntire of the Utah National Guard tells CNSNews.com that the mechanical bull is regularly used as a tool by recruiters at fairs and other events.

“It draws attention to their message,” McIntire said.

Via: CNS News

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VA under investigation over $5M conferences featuring 'Patton' parody

• Secretary Eric Shinseki's Veterans Affairs Department is under fire for $5 million spent on two conferences, featuring a pricey parody of the movie "Patton."

On the heels of the GSA spending scandal in Vegas, employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs are now under investigation over a pair of Orlando conferences that ran $5 million and featured a pricey video parody of the movie "Patton." 

The price tag on those conferences, held last summer, far exceeds the roughly $830,000 spent by the General Services Administration in Las Vegas. The VA inspector general's office says it's been investigating since April and is preparing to release a report by next month. 

The potential spending scandal sequel has now caught the eye of House oversight committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., who fired off a letter to Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki last week pressing the department for answers. 

Issa revealed several conference details, including the claim that $52,000 was spent "to produce an 18-minute video starring a paid actor satirizing the opening scene from the movie Patton" -- the 1970 film starring George C. Scott as Gen. George Patton. 

Issa questioned why the VA hired an outside group to make the video when the department "has videographers and editors on staff." 

Issa also wrote that another $84,000 was spent on "promotional items such as branded pens, highlighters, hand sanitizers and USB drives." 

Via: Fox News

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GSA Employee Suspended for Campaigning for Obama While on Duty

The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) announced Friday the suspensions of two federal employees, including one from the troubled General Services Administration (GSA), for campaigning for President Obama from their offices.

In a press release, the OSC said a contracting officer from the GSA invited 23 people to an Obama fundraiser during the 2007-2008 campaign cycle from her government office while on duty. She also distributed Obama campaign material in the workplace and sent an email from her government account supporting his campaign.

The GSA, which oversees the business of federal spending, is still reeling from a stinging Inspector General report released earlier this year that detailed, among other things, a $1 million taxpayer-funded Las Vegas event.

The suspended GSA employee's alleged actions would violate the Hatch Act, which restricts the political activity of individuals employed or holding office in the executive branch of the federal government.

She has agreed to serve a 30-day suspension without pay.

A GSA spokeswoman said the agency supports the "aggressive action to ensure that all federal employees are adhering to the requirements of the Hatch Act." She noted employees "receive mandatory ethics training and weekly reminders about the need to comply with the Hatch Act."

The OSC also announced that a technology specialist for the Social Security Administration volunteered for a gubernatorial candidate's 2010 campaign. While on duty and in his federal office, the employee, "spent a significant amount of time coordinating volunteer efforts for the campaign" according to the OSC release. His activities included recruiting precinct captains, enlisting people to march in parades, organizing the distribution of yard signs and bumper stickers, and advising volunteers on how to host campaign events. The release said he invited over 50 people to the event and asked individuals to contribute $250 each. The employee will be suspended for 180 days without pay.

Via: Fox News

Bonus Blowout: GSA Gave Out $44M

Employees at the obscure General Services Administration are quietly gobbling up 10 percent of the entire federal government's bonus checks, a top Republican lawmaker revealed Wednesday, with the tab reaching a stunning $44 million last year.

The $44 million amount is far more than was previously reported. As House lawmakers convened a hearing Wednesday digging deep into alleged mismanagement and waste at the embattled agency, Transportation Committee Chairman John Mica, R-Fla, called the latest revelations "absolutely outrageous."

Disclosing the results of what he described as a preliminary investigation, Mica said bonuses totaled $44 million, with many bonuses worth $50,000 apiece and some going to workers now under investigation. One employee, he said, received a $79,000 bonus, adding up to nearly $260,000 in total compensation.

Lawmakers also said overtime payments were over the top. Mica cited one case where a worker with an $84,000 salary received $115,000 overtime.

Via: Fox News

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