Comments on: DHS purchase cards misused http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/20/dhs-purchase-cards-misused/ Protect yourself from government gaffes, bureaucratic blunders and incumbent incompetence Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:25:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: buff daddy http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/20/dhs-purchase-cards-misused/#comment-10343 buff daddy Fri, 21 Jul 2006 19:19:26 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/20/dhs-purchase-cards-misused/#comment-10343 I can just see it now, Kevin... "SALE! SALE! SALE! We've got thousands of iPods, only $29.95! HDTV's for only $500! For all you collectors out there, we have confidental documents for the low, low price of $10 per ream! Even the DHS reports that started this sale in the first place must go! Make us a valid offer, and it's yours! And for you multimillionaires out there looking for the perfect spot for that new mansion you had in mind, you can take Arizona and/or Mississippi off our hands for cheap!" :) I can just see it now, Kevin…

“SALE! SALE! SALE! We’ve got thousands of iPods, only $29.95! HDTV’s for only $500! For all you collectors out there, we have confidental documents for the low, low price of $10 per ream! Even the DHS reports that started this sale in the first place must go! Make us a valid offer, and it’s yours! And for you multimillionaires out there looking for the perfect spot for that new mansion you had in mind, you can take Arizona and/or Mississippi off our hands for cheap!”
:)

]]> By: Kevin Fields http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/20/dhs-purchase-cards-misused/#comment-10342 Kevin Fields Fri, 21 Jul 2006 18:50:16 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/20/dhs-purchase-cards-misused/#comment-10342 Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm thinking the government is going to have a HUGE surplus sale soon ... ;-) Well, I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m thinking the government is going to have a HUGE surplus sale soon … ;-)

]]> By: buff daddy http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/20/dhs-purchase-cards-misused/#comment-10341 buff daddy Fri, 21 Jul 2006 18:30:13 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/20/dhs-purchase-cards-misused/#comment-10341 Actually, I DO have one solution... Analyze these reports MONTHLY instead of YEARLY! If a computer can keep track of each cards usage on a per-purchase basis, then that same computer can also analyze unusual spending patterns in real-time and notify someone in authority who can put an end to it before these stories happen! I have done numerous BPA's for companies (specifically the IT side of the business), and there are two common reasons why: They're IT expenditures are bleeding the company dry or They want to prevent their IT expenditures (usually before they implement a large-scale IT Project) from eventually bleeding the company dry. I also had the added advantage of working for an accounting firm that were called in to clean up their books or had spotted the abnormalities before they had a chance to become a mess in the first place. The government might be way overdue for a Business Process Analysis of their own AND making an Accounting Firm change as well! :) Actually, I DO have one solution… Analyze these reports MONTHLY instead of YEARLY! If a computer can keep track of each cards usage on a per-purchase basis, then that same computer can also analyze unusual spending patterns in real-time and notify someone in authority who can put an end to it before these stories happen!

I have done numerous BPA’s for companies (specifically the IT side of the business), and there are two common reasons why: They’re IT expenditures are bleeding the company dry or They want to prevent their IT expenditures (usually before they implement a large-scale IT Project) from eventually bleeding the company dry. I also had the added advantage of working for an accounting firm that were called in to clean up their books or had spotted the abnormalities before they had a chance to become a mess in the first place.

The government might be way overdue for a Business Process Analysis of their own AND making an Accounting Firm change as well! :)

]]> By: buff daddy http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/20/dhs-purchase-cards-misused/#comment-10340 buff daddy Fri, 21 Jul 2006 18:14:14 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/20/dhs-purchase-cards-misused/#comment-10340 Maybe we should be more concerned about regulating our own government than being concened with the government regulating us! I'm only half-joking, too! Fool me once, shame on you... Fool me twice, shame on me! How much longer are we willing to allow this kind of crap to go on? They can't secure our personal information, they can't handle our tax dollars responsibly and they can't be trusted to ensure our saftey and security. Yeah, I know... The common response would be to wait for this year's elections and vote in more competent politicians, but how do we know they wouldn't be just as ineffiecent as the current representitives that we elected into office based on our beliefs that they would be more competent and efficient representitives? Maybe it IS time to demand less control of our government and try to do a better job! Then again, we just might loot the coffers and spend it on beer brewing kits, iPods, HDTV's, etc. I DO NOT have the answers myself, but I HOPE somebody does! Something HAS TO BE DONE about this, and fast! Maybe we should be more concerned about regulating our own government than being concened with the government regulating us! I’m only half-joking, too!

Fool me once, shame on you… Fool me twice, shame on me! How much longer are we willing to allow this kind of crap to go on? They can’t secure our personal information, they can’t handle our tax dollars responsibly and they can’t be trusted to ensure our saftey and security. Yeah, I know… The common response would be to wait for this year’s elections and vote in more competent politicians, but how do we know they wouldn’t be just as ineffiecent as the current representitives that we elected into office based on our beliefs that they would be more competent and efficient representitives?

Maybe it IS time to demand less control of our government and try to do a better job! Then again, we just might loot the coffers and spend it on beer brewing kits, iPods, HDTV’s, etc.

I DO NOT have the answers myself, but I HOPE somebody does! Something HAS TO BE DONE about this, and fast!

]]> By: J. Bruno http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/20/dhs-purchase-cards-misused/#comment-10339 J. Bruno Fri, 21 Jul 2006 13:34:05 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/20/dhs-purchase-cards-misused/#comment-10339 You can't blame the Secret Service for the Ipods. Just because they're off duty doesn't mean they can go an hour without the warm, reassuring voice of the collective in their ears. Even if it's just a recording to "take the edge off." You can’t blame the Secret Service for the Ipods. Just because they’re off duty doesn’t mean they can go an hour without the warm, reassuring voice of the collective in their ears. Even if it’s just a recording to “take the edge off.”

]]> By: Matt http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/20/dhs-purchase-cards-misused/#comment-10338 Matt Fri, 21 Jul 2006 11:37:04 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/20/dhs-purchase-cards-misused/#comment-10338 All with your tax dollar! All with your tax dollar!

]]> By: Rob Miller http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/20/dhs-purchase-cards-misused/#comment-10337 Rob Miller Fri, 21 Jul 2006 07:00:08 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/20/dhs-purchase-cards-misused/#comment-10337 Ugh. So much stuff has happened recently that should see heads rolling, but nothing seems to be done. Ugh. So much stuff has happened recently that should see heads rolling, but nothing seems to be done.

]]>