NASA can put a man on the Moon and a rover on Mars, but somehow it can’t comply with a Freedom of Information document request.

NASA can put a man on the Moon and a rover on Mars, but somehow it can’t comply with a Freedom of Information document request.

The request was an attempt by a newspaper to find out if NASA officials have been partying extravagantly at conferences, like officials in GSA. That NASA can’t provide the documents suggests that something stinks somewhere.

Documents obtained from the Obama administration have revealed that the administration ordered law enforcement officers to “stand down” and not enforce the law against the Occupy movement.

The law is such an inconvenient thing: Documents obtained from the Obama administration have revealed that the administration ordered law enforcement officers to “stand down” and not enforce the law when protesters in the Occupy movement were trespassing in Portland.

Ninety-five federal workers have racked up $750,000 in travel expenses, while working at home.

The wolves guarding the chicken house: Ninety-five federal workers have racked up $750,000 in travel expenses, while working at home.

Of 95 work-at-home employees, 12 are supervisors who received reimbursements of more than $200,000 for travel-related expenses in 2010 and 2011, the documents provided to congressional committees show. A majority of the 95 are listed at the GS-14 and GS-15-level.

By the way, this happened in the General Services Administration, the same agency that ran a four day conference in Las Vegas costing almost a million dollars.

The chief of the General Services Administration has resigned and two of her top deputies have been fired for organizing an excessively expensive training conference at a luxury hotel.

Our government at work: The chief of the General Services Administration has resigned and two of her top deputies have been fired for organizing an excessively expensive training conference at a luxury hotel.

Organizers spent $835,000 on the event, which was attended by 300 employees. The expenses included $147,000 in airfare and lodging at the hotel for six planning trips by a team of organizers. Among the other expenses were $3,200 for a mind reader; $6,300 on commemorative coin set displayed in velvet boxes and $75,000 on a training exercise to build a bicycle. [emphasis mine]

They made six separate trips to this Las Vegas hotel in order to plan a four-day conference?

The sad part is that this kind of spending abuse is actually quite normal in the federal government. I’ve seen it at multiple science conferences and press conferences. Lots of free food, fancy digs at cool locations. And all paid for by the taxpayer.