GSA scandal, another blow to the Feds...

During a time in which the federal government gets the fingers pointed in their direction from a financial standpoint, yet another blow has been absorbed with the General Services Administration (GSA) scandal. For those unfamiliar, GSA consists of the Public Buildings Service (PBS) and the Federal Acquisitions Services. GSA is one of the main sources for acquisitions and procurement throughout the federal government. Walk into any government office and you’re likely to see equipment and supplies that have been purchased through the services of GSA. That being said, GSA is in the midst of a scandal that saw more than $800 thousand wasted on a PBS Western Regions training conference in Las Vegas, NV during May of 2010. The conference was to be a team-building event for several GSA employees, but the nature of the spending brought about suspicion. Reports have indicated thousands used on lavish suites, a comedian, and even a clown. To this point several authorities, including the chief administrator have either been fired or resigned.

Now, despite the nature of this offense, it shows the lack of institutional fortitude from a few individuals who had been trusted to do well in key spots. Just like with any agency, there are expectations that are set before a person is placed in a position and often times the only way to judge the overall outcome of the hiring decision is through times such as these. The bigger issue is defining the way ahead for GSA. There is no question that there is going to be a more strict oversight than in previous year. Ultimately, GSA will recover and continue with operations just as they have. In the eyes of many, the image of GSA’s spending will forever burn, and this is what in fact is the worst part of the situation. It is going to take the collaboration of all federal agencies to police their organizations and show that one agency’s mistake doesn’t define the federal government as a whole.

Spending cuts have been the main topic of discussion for federal agencies and with several agencies losing chunks of their budgets over the last few years, I’ve seen first hand the need for a more stringent effort towards cost saving. Just like any company, this takes time and dedication. Without getting into defined details, I’ve seen the process in action thus far and it will prove to be key when we evaluate our overall spending. The only thing left is to ensure that everyone within the federal government is making an effort to do their part in initiating cost savings. The key point in this is the fact that those who aren’t abiding by the standards of the oath they recited upon hire should be held accountable. There are far too many people living off of the work of others as they coast. This is key to fixing the problems and issues that plague any business. There are many workers throughout the U.S. giving far more effort for far less. All within the government should make it a point to prove that they possess the character to do the right things when no one is looking. Let’s move past this GSA scandal and continue to work towards improving our nation and it’s defense.