For the "well, duh" file. Sen. Tom Coburn, an outspoken critic of government waste, said a new GAO report of duplication of federal government redundancy "will make us all look like jackasses." Some of the details:
The U.S. government has more than 100 programs dealing with surface transportation issues, 82 monitoring teacher quality, 80 for economic development, 47 for job training, 20 offices or programs devoted to homelessness and 17 different grant programs for disaster preparedness. Another 15 agencies or offices handle food safety, and five are working to ensure the federal government uses less gasoline.
[. . .]
Federal transportation issues now involve more than 6,000 workers at five agencies within the Transportation Department, running about 100 separate funding streams for highways, transit systems, rail and transportation safety, the report said. The overlap costs an estimated $58 billion annually.
Through the years, several GAO reports have explored the issue of government redundancy, most recently reporting last month that nine federal agencies spend $18 billion a year on 47 separate job training programs. All but three of the programs overlap with others.
I don't know if "jackasses" is the right word. Something as big and complex as the federal government tends to grow almost by itself. Lots of presidents, including Obama, have had plans to streamline the government, but frequently alongside plans to add even more to government's mission. It's like complaining your garden is far too big to tend properly but planting even more while you pull a few weeds.
