Save Award 2010 Financial Reform

Discontinue the tax exempt status of government purchases. We need ‘cash flow’ right now. Small businesses need cash flow. Let them collect all they can, including tax from government purchases, etc. The tax still has to be paid; however, not before it ‘flows’ through the hands of thousands of small and large businesses. Interest alone at banks on this added ‘stimulus’ is a significant reason, even if the money is... more »

After congress passes and new legislation or programs that involve moving or distributing money, there should be a task force that should review the program and try to figure out 20 ways to defeat, cheat, steal, and illegally profit from the new legislation or program. Then steps need to be implemented to catch the criminal quickly, or prevent the illegal activites well before the program or legislation is implemented.... more »

Every September there is a mad rush by federal agencies to spend all the money budgeted for them so that their budget isn't cut the next year. Instead of penalizing agencies for not spending all the money budgeted for them, reward those agencies for saving the government money. Think of how much would be saved if we simply used the unspent money to pay down our debt or to use on actual worth while projects.

Here's a wild idea that may be completely shot down:

 

Don't tax federal salaries, but decrease the salary to compensate.

 

All the managing of money just cycling from the government to the employee and back has got to cost something.

I think managers should be evaluated by both their supervisors and subordinates (anonymously) in their yearly reviews. This will help promote honest reviews and remove the "good-old-boy" system.

Reward, instead of punish, federal organizations for not spending their entire yearly budget. As it works now, if you don't spend your entire budget, the higher-ups will decrease your budget for next year, which isn't necessarily optimal. Some years an organization will need more or less depending on different acquisition efforts. Now, if an organization is running below budget, they'll go on a massive spending spree... more »

Create a central traveling pool fund. If two groups have to meet, the cheaper destination would be approved for travel.

Invest in remote teleconferencing system that will lessen traveling fees by staffs.

Reduce all Civil Service salaries to 2008 levels including political appointees, reduce pension and retirement payouts to 2008 levels also. Enforce a 5 year freeze on pension and Civil Service COLAs with a restriction written into law that COLAs after that point will not be “caught up”, but will resume at that year baseline.

A common complaint is that prime contractors on major acquisitions frequently go way over budget on development costs. The strategy frequently used is performance based contracting - incentivizing the contractor to complete the work early. The problem is that if you offer $5 million to finish early, but the company can make $20 million by overrunning by a few months, there is no real incentive to finish early. The... more »

While I applaud the effort to identify ways to save money, they won't truly save money as long as government organizations feel forced to spend 100% of their budget in order to get the same budget next year. So if an organization saves $1 million by reducing printing, but spends the money on something they don't REALLY need so they'll still get the money next year, you haven't really saved anything. If OMB allowed organizations... more »

I suggest ending the tax tables and instituting flat tax rates. We would save printing costs and a lot of trees, increase compliance and simplify the process. I realize that this will require a change from Congress, but this is the administration for change.

While the idea with the #1 Ranking is entitled, "Lodging per diem policy change," the government savings would be much greater if the incentive pay requested for not using the full lodging allowance was directed to those who achieve travel objectives without using any travel expenses, e.g., telephoning, emailing, teleconferencing, deputizing local officials at the travel site, etc.

Eliminate "No Year" Budget Funding and require all appropriations to be for specific fiscal years.

SELF-SERVICE KIOSKS

Unmanned self-service kiosks will be located throughout communities in strategic high-traffic locations such as public libraries, colleges, malls, military bases, etc.) by providing following services to public:

1) Forms for above-mentioned agencies & others listed in Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

( https://www.cfda.gov/index?cck=1&au=&ck= ).

Service of offering an outreach to public... more »