A $1.1 Million Trip to Copenhagen

CBS News reports that the government spent over $1.1 million sending over 60 people to the Copenhagen Climate Summit in Denmark . "Those who stayed just two nights were charged a six-night minimum at the five-star Marriott. One staffer said, they strongly objected to no avail. You may ask how they'll negotiate a climate treaty, if they can't get a better deal on hotel rooms."

Common Sense from Senator Coburn

Senator Tom Coburn, M.D. has an editorial in the Washington Examiner today stating the Massachusetts election was "not a referendum on President Obama, health care, or any single issue per se, but on the size and scope of government." The Senate is going to vote soon to raise the limit on U.S. debt by $1.9 Trillion. He is offering an amendment to the bill "to give my colleagues a chance to change their behavior by forcing the Senate to choose between raising the debt limit and cutting spending. The logic of the choice is simple: Millions of families in America have to make hard choices. So should Congress." What a contrast to others who say Americans are hurting in this recession, so the government should pull out all the stops, spend more, and worry about it later.

Coburn wants to eliminate duplicate government programs: The government has "105 federal programs to encourage students to enter the fields of math and science. Thirteen different federal agencies spend more $3 billion each year to fund these programs...why not have one outstanding program instead of 105 overlapping and mediocre programs?"

Some Senators are proposing a commission to investigate how to reduce the federal debt, but Coburn says "we already have a commission to set budget priorities. It’s called the United States Congress. If Congress lacks the political will to set priorities, we don’t need a new commission, we need a new Congress." (emphasis mine) In Coburn's eyes, creating a commission is just another way to duck responsibility.

I wish Coburn luck with his amendment, but I suspect Congress wants to keep all the duplicate programs. There is more to take credit for that way.

Shameful Behavior at H&M's New York Store

This appalling story comes from the NY Times: "A Clothing Clearance Where More Than Just the Prices Have Been Slashed." They report this scene from the HM clothing store on 34th Street:

At the back entrance on 35th Street, awaiting trash haulers, were bags of garments that appear to have never been worn. And to make sure that they never would be worn or sold, someone had slashed most of them with box cutters or razors, a familiar sight outside H & M’s back door.

Similar clothes were also found at a nearby Wal-Mart, but a spokesman says "the company normally donates all its unworn goods to charities."

At any time, but particularly during this recession, H & M and Wal-Mart should be ashamed of themselves. "Directly around the corner from H & M is a big collection point for New York Cares, which conducts an annual coat drive."

NPR on Homebuyer Tax Credit Fraud

According to this NPR story, "Thousands of people have gotten first-time homebuyer tax credits they don't deserve ... Some of these suspicious claims come from people who are writing off interest payments on another house." The IRS "highlighted nearly $500 million in homebuyer tax credits claimed by people who don't appear to qualify."

The Wall Street Journal reports:

Among those claiming bogus credits, at least some of them were definitely first-timers. The credit has already been claimed by 500 people under the age of 18, including a four-year-old. This pre-K housing whiz likely bought because mom and dad make too much to qualify for the full credit, which starts to phase out at $150,000 of income for couples, $75,000 for singles.

The NPR article points out that "the IRS doesn't require people applying for the credit to prove they've purchased a house." Frank Keith, a spokesman for the IRS, says "the IRS doesn't have the authority to reject a claim for the tax credit without doing a full audit first." So, "the IRS is reportedly trying to audit almost everyone who claims it this year."

Someday, the government should consider opening offices where you can show up, choose from a menu of government handouts, present ID, and walk out with your check. At least that would be efficient. Oh wait, I forgot about my last trip to the DMV.