High jinx at taxpayers' expense

Disgraceful. That pretty much sums up the performance of our federal government in recent weeks. In two instances we saw our tax dollars completely wasted, as federal workers were left unchecked and unmonitored. It’s shocking, really.

On April 11, several Republican congressman announced that they were actively probing a growing scandal concerning the General Services Administration and its fraudulent spending habits. The investigation was initiated when Martha Johnson, former head of the GSA, resigned after it was discovered that taxpayers footed the bill for a 2010 GSA conference in Las Vegas that cost over $820,000 and included luxury suites, spas and entertainment including a mind reader, a clown and a bicycle training exercise.

To top it off, 50 GSA officials received bonuses of either $500 or $1,000 for arranging the extravagant conference. This set off the lengthy congressional probes. One administrator, Jeff Neely, and his wife lived the luxurious life of world travelers on the taxpayers’ dime. Last year, the Neelys took their family on a 17-day trip to Hawaii and the Pacific and billed the travel to the GSA.

The New York Post unveiled emails between Neely and his wife (using ridiculously incomprehensible English), in which Neely told her that the trip was a birthday present.

Sources say it was a running joke among Neely and his cronies that they ate at taxpayer expense. This is totally arrogant behavior, to say the least.

Dan Tangherlini, the acting administrator of the GSA, said, “What took place was completely unacceptable. There were violations of travel rules, acquisition rules and good conduct as well as violations of rules of common sense, the spirit of public service and the trust that America’s taxpayers have placed in all of us.”