Browse Ideas with tag 'fraud':

• Recent Ideas (54)
• Popular Ideas (54)
• Hot Ideas (0)

• I agree

  Voting is Disabled

  10 votes

  This idea is active.
  Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »

  PENTAGON SUPPLY STORE SHOULD GIVE CREDIT FOR UNUSED SUPPLIES.

  I can't tell you how many NEW and UNUSED supplies are thrown in the DUMPSTER during OFFICE MOVES which happen ALL THE TIME around here in the Pentagon. The unopened supplies that I have seen in Dumpsters is terrible and flat out Fraud, Waste and Abuse. Not to mention TONER that can not be returned to the Supply store once it is opened, even if it was the wrong size. And, the way Technology is changing, Government Offices ...more »

  I can't tell you how many NEW and UNUSED supplies are thrown in the DUMPSTER during OFFICE MOVES which happen ALL THE TIME around here in the Pentagon. The unopened supplies that I have seen in Dumpsters is terrible and flat out Fraud, Waste and Abuse. Not to mention TONER that can not be returned to the Supply store once it is opened, even if it was the wrong size. And, the way Technology is changing, Government Offices upgrade Printers all he time, but if you have Bulk Toner and get a new Printer, they go to waste. Yes, I'm sure most try to send out an email within the Pentagon to the Organizations that they associate with to come pick them up if they want them, but they usually get trashed. The main problem is the Supply Stores will not accept the Supplies (even if they are unopened) especially if the items were purchased a few years back and a receipt is not available. For Example: Number/LetterTabs can not go bad. However, if an Organization could RETURN some of these supplies to a Store and get Credit, for even HALF of the actual purchase price, we/the Government could literally save Thousands of dollars! And, although office space is hard to come by at the Pentagon, it would save so much money if there was a Central Location or REPOSITORY where Organizations could take these Extra Supplies when they are purging and cleaning up before a mandatory Move. If this were possible, unused supplies and toner would not be wasted and Organizations that do not have a large supply budget could use this as a resource to pick up much needed supplies without having to pay for them. Again, this will save thousands because Orgs will not need to Request a huge Supply budget if they knew they could utilize this resource. This savings could of course be used to support the warfighter. Finally, the amount of money saved would be more than enough to hire a Veteran or new College Graduate to organize and manage the Repository and also keep Students employed for the Summer or on a Part Time Basis. NOTE: This does not prevent Organizations from continuing to use DRMO fwhen donating BULK items. This will not ONLY benefit the Pentagon, but also other locations (on and off Military Installations) as well. Thanks in advance your kind consideration.

  « less full details »

  1 comment for Idea: PENTAGON SUPPLY STORE SHOULD GIVE CREDIT FOR UNUSED SUPPLIES.

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

• I agree

  Voting is Disabled

  9 votes

  This idea is active.
  Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »

  Ensure Accountability of all Public Assistance Money

  I believe the welfare system is essential to help those who truely need it, however many people who do need it are denied due to fraud. There should be a time limit for PA help. Welfare should provide motivation for getting an education or job, not incentive to stay in the system. Every penny of public assistance monies should be accoutable and audited. PA money should not be allowed to be withdrawn from ATMs. Instead, ...more »

  I believe the welfare system is essential to help those who truely need it, however many people who do need it are denied due to fraud. There should be a time limit for PA help. Welfare should provide motivation for getting an education or job, not incentive to stay in the system.

  Every penny of public assistance monies should be accoutable and audited. PA money should not be allowed to be withdrawn from ATMs. Instead, debit cards should be issued that are only authorized to be used at certain stores and exclude certain items, such as alcohol.

  « less full details »

  Add your comment for Idea: Ensure Accountability of all Public Assistance Money

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

• I agree

  Voting is Disabled

  15 votes

  This idea is active.
  Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »

  Use Biometrics to Save Money

  Eliminate all kinds of fraud as well as the need for passwords by using biometrics. The government and the private sector should use biometrics to help to eliminate fraud and to make the internet more secure. Small fingerprint readers should be installed at every computer. These readers will be able to verify a persons identity so they can access to their accounts. This will make things much more difficult for identity ...more »

  Eliminate all kinds of fraud as well as the need for passwords by using biometrics. The government and the private sector should use biometrics to help to eliminate fraud and to make the internet more secure. Small fingerprint readers should be installed at every computer. These readers will be able to verify a persons identity so they can access to their accounts. This will make things much more difficult for identity thieves and internet hoodlums and it will also elminate the need for passwords. People could vote from home using these devices which could help to prevent voter fraud. In addition, biometrics could be used to verify a person's eligibility for social services; they could be placed at grocery stores in order to ensure that the person who is using food stamps is actually the person who is supposed to receive the benefits. This would reduce paperwork as well as the need for cards. Biometrics could also be used to ensure that a person is a citizen and eligible to work in this country before they are employed.

  « less full details »

  6 comments for Idea: Use Biometrics to Save Money

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

• I agree

  Voting is Disabled

  11 votes

  This idea is active.
  Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »

  Depoliticize the Endangered Species Act

  From the New York Times -- this is appalling. Only science should direct decisions about the Endangered Species Act: Congress, in a First, Removes an Animal From the Endangered Species List Congress for the first time is directly intervening in the Endangered Species List and removing an animal from it, establishing a precedent for political influence over the list that has outraged environmental groups. A rider ...more »

  From the New York Times -- this is appalling. Only science should direct decisions about the Endangered Species Act:

  Congress, in a First, Removes an Animal From the Endangered Species List

  Congress for the first time is directly intervening in the Endangered Species List and removing an animal from it, establishing a precedent for political influence over the list that has outraged environmental groups.

  A rider to the Congressional budget measure agreed to last weekend dictates that wolves in Montana and Idaho be taken off the endangered species list and managed instead by state wildlife agencies, which is in direct opposition to a federal judge’s recent decision forbidding the Interior Department to take such an action.

  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/13/us/politics/13wolves.html?_r=1

  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/13/us/politics/13wolves.html?scp=2&sq=wolf&st=cse

  « less full details »

  Add your comment for Idea: Depoliticize the Endangered Species Act

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

• I agree

  Voting is Disabled

  27 votes

  This idea is active.
  Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »

  Improper Payments to Fugutive Felons and the Incarcerated

  The Departments of Agriculture, Veterans Affairs, and Social Security have existing programs, which deny benefits to persons who are wanted in other jurisdictions in local, state, and federal databases for felony offenses. These absconders from justice may use the benefits they receive to further their escape from facing justice and should not be entitled to taxpayer funds until their obligations have been satisfied. ...more »

  The Departments of Agriculture, Veterans Affairs, and Social Security have existing programs, which deny benefits to persons who are wanted in other jurisdictions in local, state, and federal databases for felony offenses. These absconders from justice may use the benefits they receive to further their escape from facing justice and should not be entitled to taxpayer funds until their obligations have been satisfied.

  This program if implemented at the Department of Education is a direct alignment with the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act signed into law in 2010. In a White House press release fact sheet dated July 22, 2010, stated over $230 million dollars in benefits was given to over 14,000 fugitives or incarcerated felons who were not eligible to receive benefits. At the Department of Education, those incarcerated are already not eligible for benefits but this has not kept my agency from repeatedly finding those currently incarcerated receiving benefits to attend online universities or correspondence courses. There is however, no program at the Department of Education, which keeps wanted fugitive felons from receiving federal student aid funds.

  The information provided to apply for federal financial aid from the Department of Education could be compared with information contained in the National Crime Information Center database maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and those results which have positive results properly vetted could provide information to local, state and federal law enforcement to apprehend the offenders and bring them to justice. We currently compare information contained in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid to records located at the Social Security Administration, Selective Service, Department of Homeland Security, and other databases for eligibility determination. This would be an additional larger review of to prevent funds from being provided to fugitive felons or incarcerated inmates.

  The Department of Agriculture’s program in its first year netted over 6,700 arrests, of which 1,500 were violent offenders. With the arrests made, a total cost avoidance based on today’s family monthly benefit average would total nearly $17.7 million dollars, not to mention the public safety gains. If the same positive results were found in the federal student aid program, it would be a cost savings of nearly $61 million dollars based on a 2009-2010 average undergraduate award of $9,100.

  « less full details »

  1 comment for Idea: Improper Payments to Fugutive Felons and the Incarcerated

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

• I agree

  Voting is Disabled

  12 votes

  This idea is active.
  Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »

  Education, Religion, Laws, etc..

  - Tax religions (the church). - Enforce current laws (fraud, property, immigration, bankruptcy, criminal, divorce, patent, consumer, business, criminal, etc.). - Education – The education system is not broken, It is our youth that do not want to learn (we need help from parents). Also, soon there will be fortune 500 colleges and universities offering IPO. Cost of education has skyrocketed nonstop and it will keep on ...more »

  - Tax religions (the church).

  - Enforce current laws (fraud, property, immigration, bankruptcy, criminal, divorce, patent, consumer, business, criminal, etc.).

  - Education – The education system is not broken, It is our youth that do not want to learn (we need help from parents). Also, soon there will be fortune 500 colleges and universities offering IPO. Cost of education has skyrocketed nonstop and it will keep on increasing (our youth cannot afford to rack up in debt).

  « less full details »

  Add your comment for Idea: Education, Religion, Laws, etc..

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

• I agree

  Voting is Disabled

  24 votes

  This idea is active.
  Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »

  Fewer House Members - Immediately

  We should lower the number of House Members from 435 to 335 (as a start). Fax machines, instant messaging, no horse back riding and having to get back to harvest the crops--we haven't needed this many members in a very long time, but have failed to adjust the number. No need to enumerate all of the failures to compromise and get things done with the number that they currently have, we can read. Twenty-five years ago, ...more »

  We should lower the number of House Members from 435 to 335 (as a start). Fax machines, instant messaging, no horse back riding and having to get back to harvest the crops--we haven't needed this many members in a very long time, but have failed to adjust the number. No need to enumerate all of the failures to compromise and get things done with the number that they currently have, we can read.

  Twenty-five years ago, each had a cost of 1M for each staff office. No telling what the cost is now. That's over 100M in instant savings just for running congressional staff offices. Untold amounts in saving for the convoulted things they do, (or don't do). Lower the number. We owe it to our children to lower the number of these people, they are ineffective at this level. Reduce the number by 100, and keep reducing until they get the message and can do the work of the people. We are paying for their inefficiency.

  « less full details »

  Add your comment for Idea: Fewer House Members - Immediately

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

• I agree

  Voting is Disabled

  16 votes

  This idea is active.
  Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »

  Public Assistance - True accountability

  From an unknown person in Texas... Put me in charge of food stamps. I'd get rid of Lone Star cards; no cash for Ding Dongs or Ho Ho's, just money for 50-pound bags of rice and beans, blocks of cheese and all the powdered milk you can haul away. If you want steak and frozen pizza, then get a job. Put me in charge of Medicaid. The first thing I'd do is to get women Norplant birth control implants or tubal ligations. Then, ...more »

  From an unknown person in Texas...

  Put me in charge of food stamps. I'd get rid of Lone Star cards; no cash for Ding Dongs or Ho Ho's, just money for 50-pound bags of rice and beans, blocks of cheese and all the powdered milk you can haul away. If you want steak and frozen pizza, then get a job.

  Put me in charge of Medicaid. The first thing I'd do is to get women Norplant birth control implants or tubal ligations. Then, we'll test recipients for drugs, alcohol, and nicotine and document all tattoos and piercings. If you want to reproduce or use drugs, alcohol, smoke or get tats and piercings, then get a job.

  Put me in charge of government housing. Ever live in a military barracks? You will maintain our property in a clean and good state of repair. Your "home" will be subject to inspections anytime and possessions will be inventoried.. If you want a plasma TV or Xbox 360, then get a job and your own place.

  In addition, you will either present a check stub from a job each week or you will report to a "government" job. It may be cleaning the roadways of trash, painting and repairing public housing, whatever we find for you. We will sell your 22 inch rims and low profile tires and your blasting stereo and speakers and put that money toward the “common good.”

  Before you write that I've violated someone's rights, realize that all of the above is voluntary. If you want our money, accept our rules. Before you say that this would be "demeaning" and ruin their "self esteem," consider that it wasn't that long ago that taking someone else's money for doing absolutely nothing was demeaning and lowered self esteem.

  If we are expected to pay for other people's mistakes we should at least attempt to make them learn from their bad choices. The current system rewards them for continuing to make bad choices.

  AND while you are on Government subsistence, you no longer can VOTE! Yes, that is correct. For you to vote would be a conflict of interest. You will voluntarily remove yourself from voting while you are receiving a Government welfare check. If you want to vote, then get a job.

  « less full details »

  6 comments for Idea: Public Assistance - True accountability

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

• I agree

  Voting is Disabled

  21 votes

  This idea is active.
  Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »

  REWARDING employees for saving money!

  The Federal Government does not provide equitable rewards for innovative thinking. In terms of rewarding people, most reward programs are designed to make the incentive for saving the government money very small. Take for instance of the change that one IRS employee made to make dependents SSNs required on the forms. After not acting on the suggestion as an idea to increase revenue, the department decided to do so ...more »

  The Federal Government does not provide equitable rewards for innovative thinking. In terms of rewarding people, most reward programs are designed to make the incentive for saving the government money very small. Take for instance of the change that one IRS employee made to make dependents SSNs required on the forms. After not acting on the suggestion as an idea to increase revenue, the department decided to do so years later. By the time the reward was given to the suggestor, the US had actually increased revenues by $14 Billion Dollars. However, the suggestor was still given the same paltry reward for his idea, limited by regulation to be no more than $25,000. However, in the world of whistle blowing (Qui Tam lawsuits), the relator can be rewarded a great deal larger sum of money, usually an amount that is about 15% of the total recovery or savings to the government. If that were the case, this suggestor would have been able to make his suggestion and receive over $2 Billion Dollars. That is a real incentive for the most innovative thinkers not only to make the best suggestions; it would also create more suggestions and would ultimately pay for itself in short order. The Federal Government could become very lean and very efficient by incentivizing those employees that are very keen to cut waste, and by attracting the type employees who can do the same in government as industry. By creating one large rewards program that covered the entire federal government instead of just each branch or agency, the oversight provided by each agency seeing the suggestions made by employees/service members across the entire government the backlog/logjam that exists in each suggestion program could be broken. For instance, I currently have several ideas that are in the Army's suggestion program that have been sitting in review for over 2 years. By the time they are decided upon they will either be overcome by events or somehow already initiated into another idea, but that would be late or possibly ineffective. Creating one "super Rewards" program across the Federal Government would reduce or eliminate all that Agency issues that some much plague the way the Federal Government does business. The Government has created so much redundancy and inefficiency the only way to eliminate it removes all the shadows each Agency casts over the wastefulness. One rewards programs with real rewards will incentivize or government to be the efficient buying machine, taxing machine and governing machine, etc., it was meant to be.

  « less full details »

  2 comments for Idea: REWARDING employees for saving money!

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

• I agree

  Voting is Disabled

  25 votes

  This idea is active.
  Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »

  FREE HOMES. NO MORTGAGES. FREE FOOD FREE MEDICAL INSURANCE

  section 8 and low income housing encourages dependency and complacent behavior. Why work when you can get a house for practically free and keep collecting entitlements. ILLLEGAL squatting and unauthrized people live with a legal tenet often and this is a criminal offense since changes in family size and income are required to be reported. the section 8 system and low income housing system is a complete failure which has ...more »

  section 8 and low income housing encourages dependency and complacent behavior. Why work when you can get a house for practically free and keep collecting entitlements. ILLLEGAL squatting and unauthrized people live with a legal tenet often and this is a criminal offense since changes in family size and income are required to be reported. the section 8 system and low income housing system is a complete failure which has drained the US economy of trillions of dollars and maintained tenets in social and financial bondage. there is no incentive to leave section 8 or low income housing. why work or attend college when you can get housing for free or low cost. This encouranges drug abuse and out of wedlock births and tenet abuse by housing squatters and unauthorized people living in the units. section 8 and low income housing also reduce local taxpayers home values and create blighted neighborhoods with loud music and cars with dark windows and dirty messy yards often with dirt as a yard.. SECTION 8 and LOW INCOME HOUSING TENETS NEED TIME LIMITS of 1 to 3 years then they must be evicted from the units since they are living on free enititlements and have no incentive to Raise themselves out of the free benefits. WAKE UP AMERICA! WE ARE TRILLIONS IN DEBT and giving away FREE BENEFITS . remember that all secion 8 and low income housing authoritys are TAX FREE and you pay the costs of educating the people and their rents are susidized and food and insurance are subsidized and paid for. its like the midlle and upper class is paying triple to live, we all have to pay for everyone else.. its not fair..http://www.hud.gov/complaints/fraud_waste.cfm

  « less full details »

  5 comments for Idea: FREE HOMES. NO MORTGAGES. FREE FOOD FREE MEDICAL INSURANCE

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

• I agree

  Voting is Disabled

  38 votes

  This idea is active.
  Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »

  A Trillion Dollar waste - WELFARE,section8 ,low income housing

  http://www.hud.gov/complaints/fraud_waste.cfm -section 8 and low income housing encourages dependency and complacent behavior. Why work when you can get a house for practically free and keep collecting entitlements. ILLLEGAL squatting and unauthrized people live with a legal tenet often and this is a criminal offense since changes in family size and income are required to be reported. the section 8 system and low income ...more »

  http://www.hud.gov/complaints/fraud_waste.cfm -section 8 and low income housing encourages dependency and complacent behavior. Why work when you can get a house for practically free and keep collecting entitlements. ILLLEGAL squatting and unauthrized people live with a legal tenet often and this is a criminal offense since changes in family size and income are required to be reported. the section 8 system and low income housing system is a complete failure which has drained the US economy of trillions of dollars and maintained tenets in social and financial bondage. there is no incentive to leave section 8 or low income housing. why work or attend college when you can get housing for free or low cost. This encouranges drug abuse and out of wedlock births and tenet abuse by housing squatters and unauthorized people living in the units. section 8 and low income housing also reduce local taxpayers home values and create blighted neighborhoods with loud music and cars with dark windows and dirty messy yards often with dirt as a yard.. SECTION 8 and LOW INCOME HOUSING TENETS NEED TIME LIMITS of 1 to 3 years then they must be evicted from the units since they are living on free enititlements and have no incentive to Raise themselves out of the free benefits. WAKE UP AMERICA! WE ARE TRILLIONS IN DEBT and giving away FREE BENEFITS . remember that all secion 8 and low income housing authoritys are TAX FREE and you pay the costs of educating the people and their rents are susidized and food and insurance are subsidized and paid for. its like the midlle and upper class is paying triple to live, we all have to pay for everyone else.. its not fair..http://www.hud.gov/complaints/fraud_waste.cfm

  « less full details »

  5 comments for Idea: A Trillion Dollar waste - WELFARE,section8 ,low income housing

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

• I agree

  Voting is Disabled

  15 votes

  This idea is active.
  Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »

  welfare fraud and section 8 and low income housing time limits

  http://www.hud.gov/complaints/fraud_waste.cfm -section 8 and low income housing encourages dependency and complacent behavior. Why work when you can get a house for practically free and keep collecting entitlements. ILLLEGAL squatting and unauthrized people live with a legal tenet often and this is a criminal offense since changes in family size and income are required to be reported. the section 8 system and low income ...more »

  http://www.hud.gov/complaints/fraud_waste.cfm -section 8 and low income housing encourages dependency and complacent behavior. Why work when you can get a house for practically free and keep collecting entitlements. ILLLEGAL squatting and unauthrized people live with a legal tenet often and this is a criminal offense since changes in family size and income are required to be reported. the section 8 system and low income housing system is a complete failure which has drained the US economy of trillions of dollars and maintained tenets in social and financial bondage. there is no incentive to leave section 8 or low income housing. why work or attend college when you can get housing for free or low cost. This encouranges drug abuse and out of wedlock births and tenet abuse by housing squatters and unauthorized people living in the units. section 8 and low income housing also reduce local taxpayers home values and create blighted neighborhoods with loud music and cars with dark windows and dirty messy yards often with dirt as a yard.. SECTION 8 and LOW INCOME HOUSING TENETS NEED TIME LIMITS of 1 to 3 years then they must be evicted from the units since they are living on free enititlements and have no incentive to Raise themselves out of the free benefits. WAKE UP AMERICA! WE ARE TRILLIONS IN DEBT and giving away FREE BENEFITS . http://www.hud.gov/complaints/fraud_waste.cfm

  « less full details »

  1 comment for Idea: welfare fraud and section 8 and low income housing time limits

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

• I agree

  Voting is Disabled

  15 votes

  This idea is active.
  Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »

  Take top 25 submissions and top 25 contributors for discussion

  I like most ideas on this website. I think that most ideas have come from somebody who is trying to do a great job at what they do. It has become so difficult to navigate through that, I have decided to take 15 minutes out of my day to dedicate to this at home on my own time. I believe that the top 25 contributors and top 25 idea submitters should be invited to bring their heads together and discuss what is really ...more »

  I like most ideas on this website. I think that most ideas have come from somebody who is trying to do a great job at what they do.

  It has become so difficult to navigate through that, I have decided to take 15 minutes out of my day to dedicate to this at home on my own time.

  I believe that the top 25 contributors and top 25 idea submitters should be invited to bring their heads together and discuss what is really important to their agency and to the federal government as a whole.

  « less full details »

  5 comments for Idea: Take top 25 submissions and top 25 contributors for discussion

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

• I agree

  Voting is Disabled

  27 votes

  This idea is active.
  Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »

  Cut Congressional, Judicial, Executive salaries to 1984 levels

  Cut all of their pay, Congress, White House members, Judges, etc. in half. This would save us 50% of what we taxpayers pay now. http://federaldaily.com/articles/2011/03/11/salary-cut-bill-for-congress.aspx "Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Wash., introduced a bill on March 10 that would cut by 10 percent the annual salaries of the president, vice president and members of Congress. For President Obama, that would be a $40,000 ...more »

  Cut all of their pay, Congress, White House members, Judges, etc. in half. This would save us 50% of what we taxpayers pay now.

  http://federaldaily.com/articles/2011/03/11/salary-cut-bill-for-congress.aspx

  "Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Wash., introduced a bill on March 10 that would cut by 10 percent the annual salaries of the president, vice president and members of Congress. For President Obama, that would be a $40,000 reduction."

  This is a start but I say 50% at least! The average Congress member gets a minimum of $174,000 a year (2011 levels).

  From 1789 to 1815, members of Congress received only a per diem (daily payment) of $6.00 while in session. Members began receiving an annual salary in 1815, when they were paid $1,500 per year.

  In 1989, Congress passed an amendment allowing for the automatic raises, unless lawmakers specifically voted to reject it. Which Congress did, until 2000...

  Since 1990, congressional pay had increased from $98,400 to $154,700 in 2003.

  Also... Presidential pay history:

  September 24, 1789: $25,000 (actual) $566,000 (2009)

  March 3, 1873: $50,000 (actual) $865,000 (2009)

  March 4, 1909: $75,000 (actual) $1,714,000 (2009)

  January 19, 1949: $100,000 (actual) $906,000 (2009)

  January 20, 1969: $200,000 (actual) $1,175,000 (2009)

  January 20, 2001: $400,000 (actual) $487,000 (2009)

  Decrease pay so that it will not be the sole factor to run for office. Notice how the dollar's value has decreased!

  « less full details »

  3 comments for Idea: Cut Congressional, Judicial, Executive salaries to 1984 levels

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

• I agree

  Voting is Disabled

  21 votes

  This idea is active.
  Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »

  Hold People Accountable

  Create a method of oversight that holds Federal politicians, employees and contractors accountable for their actions or lack thereof. Whether it is filing a lawsuit, choosing not to take on an issue or dodging responsibility, most people in the Federal Government can avoid accountability until they reach their retirement. This current atmosphere of 'avoid-ability' is entirely the fault of the government leadership who ...more »

  Create a method of oversight that holds Federal politicians, employees and contractors accountable for their actions or lack thereof. Whether it is filing a lawsuit, choosing not to take on an issue or dodging responsibility, most people in the Federal Government can avoid accountability until they reach their retirement. This current atmosphere of 'avoid-ability' is entirely the fault of the government leadership who choose to pander to cry babies rather than stand up for the taxpaying citizens of the US.

  This system is unacceptable and any talk of creating a more efficient government needs to start there.

  « less full details »

  1 comment for Idea: Hold People Accountable

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

• I agree

  Voting is Disabled

  17 votes

  This idea is active.
  Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »

  Contractor Conflict of Interest - Limit Revolving Door

  There are supposed to be limits on "retired" Feds going to work for Contractors, with whom they had influence/oversight prior to retiring. However in practice these rules are so narrowly interpreted that we see Feds leaving on a friday and popping back up on a monday with a contractor badge. There seems to be no end to this practice, if they aren't coming back to interface directly with the agency, then they often get ...more »

  There are supposed to be limits on "retired" Feds going to work for Contractors, with whom they had influence/oversight prior to retiring. However in practice these rules are so narrowly interpreted that we see Feds leaving on a friday and popping back up on a monday with a contractor badge. There seems to be no end to this practice, if they aren't coming back to interface directly with the agency, then they often get a VP job as a reward for helping to push their case earlier. This whole area needs to be tightened up, they shouldn't be allowed to go to work for any company that has any contracts with their previous agency. While most federal follow the rules, the practices of these few is costing the government untold millions.

  « less full details »

  1 comment for Idea: Contractor Conflict of Interest - Limit Revolving Door

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

• I agree

  Voting is Disabled

  29 votes

  This idea is active.
  Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »

  Fire Federal Employees Who Commit Social Security Fraud

  There was a recent GAO study that found a number of federal employees who were drawing SS Disability payments while working a full time federal job. In some instances hundreds of thousands of fraudulent funds had been collected. In addition to crimnal charges, these employess should have been summarily fired!

  2 comments for Idea: Fire Federal Employees Who Commit Social Security Fraud

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

• I agree

  Voting is Disabled

  29 votes

  This idea is active.
  Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »

  Limit Food Stamps

  I heard a story recently, regarding some immigrants. They have been here about 10 years, retired and are now drawing social security.........and getting food stamps. How is it that the tax payers have to bear the burden for this, when the sponsors of immigrants have to declare that they (the sponsors) have the means to support them so they don't become a burden to the tax payers. ICE needs to work more closely with ...more »

  I heard a story recently, regarding some immigrants. They have been here about 10 years, retired and are now drawing social security.........and getting food stamps. How is it that the tax payers have to bear the burden for this, when the sponsors of immigrants have to declare that they (the sponsors) have the means to support them so they don't become a burden to the tax payers. ICE needs to work more closely with the Agriculture to root out abuses like this. One solution, might be to require that the sponsors, put up a bond or agree to a lien against their house, if they have one, but too many are getting a free ride at the expense of the rest of us.

  « less full details »

  1 comment for Idea: Limit Food Stamps

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

• I agree

  Voting is Disabled

  14 votes

  This idea is active.
  Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »

  Equipment CONSOLIDATION and ReUTILIZATION

  Equipment CONSOLIDATION and Re-UTILIZATION First come first served. Someone’s trash or excess is someone’s treasure (items needed for another office / or site.) We need to start sharing our knowledge of what we have in excess and what we can donate, exchange, or give away; this could be done within the organization we all resides / or working with…. 1- Each department can provide an equipment list of excess, unused ...more »

  Equipment CONSOLIDATION and Re-UTILIZATION First come first served.

  Someone’s trash or excess is someone’s treasure (items needed for another office / or site.)

  We need to start sharing our knowledge of what we have in excess and what we can donate, exchange, or give away; this could be done within the organization we all resides / or working with….

  1- Each department can provide an equipment list of excess, unused or not desire equipment.

  2- This list can be consolidated as a good faith estimate for property disposal - but not to be disposed of as scrap or as unserviceable items to your local supply or DRMO (Demilitarized Reutilization Marketing Office) or via disposition under form SF120, or disposal of to “Area 51.”

  3- Have 2 Goods-Assets Offices (a logistics office or a Central point of distribution):

  a- a Non-Information Technology (IT) or Office Furniture -- Have an office to store or coordinate the excess of furniture equipment - for utilization whiting the Agency; and after 6 or 12 moths the equipment can go on a SF120 for other agencies to take advantage.

  b- An Information Technology Equipment -- Have an Office in charge of reporting all of the excess Information Technology Equipment. There is so many unopened or boxed up electronic equipment, cables, parts, magnetic media, ect out there that it can be realigned.

  Example 1 --- Maybe someone has a piece of switch / router equipment, or let said a Printer or keyboard, for example it could be transferred to someone in needs of printers or networking communication equipment. And this could start within the office Organization. The cost related to this scenario; as stated before someone needs a $25,000 or $65,000 Cisco 4600 Switch with 192 Giga-Ethernet ports and fiber ports. The equipment could be transferred to the office needing the upgrade without the need of spending almost $80,000 on Switches and this kind of sort of equipment.

  Example 2 --- Someone is conducting a program and there is a project of changing cables on the switches and converting this old Cat5 to Cat6 cabling, because the new technology is booming and the office is going to have Voice-over-IP technology. There was an office down the street that has excess of Cat6 cables and connectors sitting in a corner for the last 2 years. The IT Office Reutilization tapped and has the knowledge of this equipment, and then the Cable could be transferred to the NEW Project office for optimizing the network with Voice-over-IP system. The cost scenario here, someone needs 300 patch cables at approximately $15.00 a piece. The total here is $4,500 in just cables (upgrading the infrastructure to CAT6 only.)

  Remember some of this part can last a long time; cables, parts, magnetic media (usually this magnetic storage media is good for 30 or 40 years.)

  The question is: How many of you have some of them, knowingly that someone could benefit from it.

  see other ideas here:

  http://governmentreform.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Control-AC---Heating-and-1-hour-turn-off-for-SAVING-ENERGY-/123166-13060

  http://governmentreform.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Eliminate-Government-Vehicle-for-permanent-Domicile-to-Duty/122824-13060

  http://governmentreform.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Wind-turbine-and-Solar-Panels/122931-13060

  « less full details »

  Add your comment for Idea: Equipment CONSOLIDATION and ReUTILIZATION

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

• I agree

  Voting is Disabled

  19 votes

  This idea is active.
  Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »

  Mandatory Posting of All Awards

  All will be surprised how much savings (and equity) can be brought when a little light is shined through mandatory, intra-agency, by-name posting/notification on all awards, promotions, bonuses, incentives, etc., etc., financial and otherwise, on at least a quarterly basis.

  2 comments for Idea: Mandatory Posting of All Awards

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

• I agree

  Voting is Disabled

  21 votes

  This idea is active.
  Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »

  CHANGE THE EARNED INCOME CREDIT LAW

  Restructure the Earned Income Credit laws so it is only available to parents and legal guardians. It has become an income source for extended family members and friends that don’t even know the child’s birthday but claim they support the child. Also the Earned Income Credit should not be retroactive for three years to anyone who did not have a valid Social Security Number, especially if the taxpayer has not previously ...more »

  Restructure the Earned Income Credit laws so it is only available to parents and legal guardians. It has become an income source for extended family members and friends that don’t even know the child’s birthday but claim they support the child. Also the Earned Income Credit should not be retroactive for three years to anyone who did not have a valid Social Security Number, especially if the taxpayer has not previously filed taxes. The credit should be restricted to the year the Social Security Number is received.

  « less full details »

  1 comment for Idea: CHANGE THE EARNED INCOME CREDIT LAW

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

• I agree

  Voting is Disabled

  22 votes

  This idea is active.
  Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »

  Eliminate Corporations Ability to Move Off Shore to Avoid Paying

  How dare they? With so many unemployed Americans, an economy that has been on the rocks and needs everyone pulling in the same direction----these corporations that have been founded here and take all the perks, manage to go outside the country for lower taxes--PAID TO ANOTHER COUNTRY. Corporations say that they have an ordained right to go to other countries to make their corporate headquaters a European city rather ...more »

  How dare they? With so many unemployed Americans, an economy that has been on the rocks and needs everyone pulling in the same direction----these corporations that have been founded here and take all the perks, manage to go outside the country for lower taxes--PAID TO ANOTHER COUNTRY. Corporations say that they have an ordained right to go to other countries to make their corporate headquaters a European city rather than in the U.S. It's all in the law, they say.

  Read the 60 Minutes transcript if you missed the show:

  http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/03/25/60minutes/main20046867.shtml

  « less full details »

  3 comments for Idea: Eliminate Corporations Ability to Move Off Shore to Avoid Paying

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

• I agree

  Voting is Disabled

  37 votes

  This idea is active.
  Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »

  No immigration reform, just enforce current laws

  Make it financially irresponsible for any employer to consider hiring an illegal alien, by increasing and implementing higher fines. Open larger registrations centers that issue H2B visas at our southern POEs and extend the length those workers can stay to 1 year. Make all state and local governments that take Federal money, run an 'illegal alien inquiry' through their law enforcement agency after any individual has ...more »

  Make it financially irresponsible for any employer to consider hiring an illegal alien, by increasing and implementing higher fines.

  Open larger registrations centers that issue H2B visas at our southern POEs and extend the length those workers can stay to 1 year.

  Make all state and local governments that take Federal money, run an 'illegal alien inquiry' through their law enforcement agency after any individual has been arrested.

  These methods will protect citizens and immigrants.

  « less full details »

  2 comments for Idea: No immigration reform, just enforce current laws

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

• I agree

  Voting is Disabled

  116 votes

  This idea is active.
  Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »

  Create a flat Federal income tax

  Create a flat Federal income tax for all tax brackets and free up IRS employees to fight all levels tax related fraud.

  15 comments for Idea: Create a flat Federal income tax

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

• I agree

  Voting is Disabled

  7 votes

  This idea is active.
  Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »

  Waste Fraud and Abuse in the submission of time and attendance

  When a manager knows an employee is not doing the work they are being paid for and signs off on their time and attendance, aren't they committing fraud?

  Add your comment for Idea: Waste Fraud and Abuse in the submission of time and attendance

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

Displaying 1 - 25 of 54 Ideas

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next »