CDC Wastes Millions of Taxpayer Dollars, Says Senate Report
thewesterner
CDC Wastes Millions of Taxpayer Dollars, Says Senate Report
By Matt Purple
CNSNews.com Correspondent
June 19, 2007
(CNSNews.com) - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
provides an example of a big-budget federal agency getting its
priorities wrong, according to an oversight report released by a
Republican senator.
Among the report's findings -- a $106 million visitor center decorated
with waterfalls and Japanese gardens and a $200,000 fitness center
with saunas and zero-gravity chairs.
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), a practicing physician, released the report
late last week following an exhaustive investigation. Coburn is the
ranking member of a Homeland Security subcommittee that deals with
federal financial management.
"CDC employs many honest, hard-working people who shoulder a very
important mission for our nation," Coburn said. "Yet, like most
agencies, it offers many examples of how an agency with a large budget
can veer off track in prioritizing its funds."
Entitled "CDC Off Center," the report -- produced by Coburn's
subcommittee -- charges that the CDC's mission has been "compromised
by mismanagement" and "lavish spending." The CDC has a current annual
budget of about $10 billion.
The CDC could not be reached for comment, but CDC spokesman Tom
Skinner did say in a press release that the agency cooperated with the
investigation and provided Coburn with "exhaustive information."
"We strive day in and day out to fulfill our commitment to the
American taxpayer," he said.
One problem cited in Coburn's report is the CDC's new visitor center
and communications center at the campus in Atlanta.
The $106-million Thomas R. Harkin Global Communications Center was
built to replace the CDC's older visitor center, which was built only
11 years ago.
According to Coburn's report, the CDC spent $5.1 million on "audio-
visual integration" for the new facility, including a 70-foot by 25-
foot video wall of plasma screen televisions. A video production
studio costs $18.6 million.
The grounds feature a greenscape with a stream running over artificial
rocks into a pond, limestone bridges, waterfalls, Japanese gardens and
fountains.
The center also boasts a statue of a woman made of vegetables, paid
for by the CDC. The statue evidently is supposed to encourage visitors
to eat healthier foods.
"The CDC already had a visitor center," said a Coburn staffer who
asked that her name not be used. "They said they had about 15,000
visitors per year ... so it's not necessarily a bad idea, it's just a
bad prioritization of funds," the staffer told Cybercast News Service.
Leslie Paige, media director at Citizens Against Government Waste,
questioned whether the CDC needed a visitor center in the first place.
"It's not exactly a destination resort," she told Cybercast News
Service.
The center is named after Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Ill.), formerly the
ranking member on the Senate Appropriations Committee and still a
member of the committee.
Fitness center and Hollywood ties
Also raising eyebrows was a new fitness center built on the CDC's
Atlanta campus in 2006.
According to Coburn's report, the 16,000-square-foot exercise facility
houses more than 70 strength and cardiovascular fitness machines and
an indoor cycling room with images of the Tour de France projected on
the walls. It also features a sauna area worth $30,000 and dimly-lit
"quiet rooms" with zero-gravity chairs, music and therapeutic pastel
light shows.
In his statement, Skinner defended the fitness center, claiming that
it was not a waste of money and was necessary for the well-being of
CDC employees.
"We have first-rate facilities for first-rate employees," he said.
Coburn's staffer stood by the report's criticisms and said that a
fitness center "should not be a priority for the CDC." She also
claimed that the CDC had been dishonest about the fitness center's
construction.
"We actually asked about the fitness center as it was being built, and
we were told -- and we have it in writing from the CDC -- that they
were not going to be purchasing any new equipment for the fitness
center. They would use old fitness center equipment," she said.
According to Coburn's report, the CDC also has established a Hollywood
liaison program, which collaborates with the entertainment industry to
make sure that medical TV show plotlines are credible.
The agency has spent about $1.7 million since 2001 making sure that
shows like "ER," "House," "24" and "Grey's Anatomy" are medically
accurate. An average of $6,000 is spent per episode consult, according
to the report.
Paige questioned the cost. "What we've seen in other agencies is that
this entails sending delegations to Warner Brothers and Hollywood to
hobnob with entertainment people," she said.
"I don't know if the CDC has done that, but what is that money going
towards?" she asked.
Of the $1.7 million, $55,000 came from the CDC's terrorism account,
and another $18,386 came from the Agency for Toxic Substances and
Disease Registry. The report called the decisions puzzling in a time
of limited federal funds and agency calls for additional funds to
prepare for potential bioterrorism attacks."
Also controversial was the CDC's push for "ER" producers to put a
condom poster on the set "as a roundabout way of getting the health
message to TV viewers."
Skinner did not comment on the specifics of the Hollywood liaison
program, but he called it "an unusual and effective way to reach
people" about their health.
GT Tick
Hell the visitor center in my new virtual plane with it's waterfalls and
garden didn't cost nearly that much. My fitness center is twice as big
and cost half as much and consultation with Hollywood types for the
homemovies was a helluva lot cheaper. In fact, Pam Anderson and Paris
Hilton were kind enough to donate their own time and, uh, shall we say,
'talents', when instructing for the more difficult, technical scenes.
Sheesh, if I could find an island in the South Pacific shaped like and
as big as Texas I'd buy it and start my own republic.
*****Don't Cry Because It's Over, Smile Because It Happened*****
Alex
advice to Hollywood. Why isn't Hollywood paying *us*? Isn't that part
of the cost of production? Why are *we* subsidizing it?
Oops, I forgot.
Hollywood legislators.
<Alex's blood pressure rises>
$106 Million to replace an 11 year old visitor center that gets 15,000
visitors per year?
Lets do some math, shall we?
15,000 visitors per year x 11 years = 165,000 visitors
$108,000,000 / 165,000 visitors = $654 per visitor
Who in their right mind voted to spend that kind of money *per visitor*?
Even if the number of visitors *doubled*, your still talking $327 each!
For what, so they can watch a movie on a 70 foot plasma screen wall?
For a government sponsored *movie theater*?! Oh, I forgot, it has
waterfalls and gardens, too. That makes it all OK.
<Alex turns purple and begins shaking uncontrollably>
Meanwhile, in the event of, even a non-terrorism related, major disease
outbreak, we are learning that, um, well, hey, sorry, but, you're on
your own. The gub'mint will be hunkered down, of course, in their
tripled air-filtered bunkers, because, you know, protecting the leeches,
er, legislators is more important than protecting the people.
But, thats OK, while you're dying from super-triple-drug-resistant blood
curdling, lung sucking, heart exploding virus, you can go to Atlanta and
watch a movie. It'll make you feel better, and I understand that
gardens & waterfalls have a calming effect.
<Alex's head explodes>
I'd join ya in a heartbeat, Tick. In a heartbeat.
Alex
GT Tick wrote:
> That's outrageous! And it's OUR money!
>
<snip>
Scotty
<snip>
> Meanwhile, in the event of, even a non-terrorism related, major disease
> outbreak, we are learning that, um, well, hey, sorry, but, you're on
> your own. The gub'mint will be hunkered down, of course, in their
> tripled air-filtered bunkers, because, you know, protecting the leeches,
> er, legislators is more important than protecting the people.
It wouldn't be *too* surprising to discover that the visitor center
quickly converts to a triple air-filtered bunker.
> But, thats OK, while you're dying from super-triple-drug-resistant blood
> curdling, lung sucking, heart exploding virus, you can go to Atlanta and
> watch a movie. It'll make you feel better, and I understand that
> gardens & waterfalls have a calming effect.
Maybe they'd help keep your head from exploding.
>
> <Alex's head explodes>
Oops! Too late. :)
Scott
bobbyD
here in Vancouver/Lowermainland, we have the 2010 Olympics commin up,,,
so of course ,, the poor homeless are being pushed out to make way for
outlandish incresed rental units, hotles etc etc,, all the ''dumps' are
gettin their patrons evicted and a makeover,, needles picked up,, disgusting
carpets ripped out,,
the exact same thing happened here for Expo86 ,
we have increased cuts, to puplic service sector, but Millions more dollars
are being spent on things this city doesnt need ,,- cept for the olympics,,,
like short track speedskating rink,??? yes we need a multi million dollar
rink,,
this im my mind is just wrong,,, we cut programs and services and build new
venues for the rich to use- better believe none of the folks evicted from
these shitholes will be sittin front and center for the opening
ceremonies!!!!
and they wont be taking in speed skating events either,,,
i doubt they will even have a TV to watch the olympics on,,,
the waste ,corruption, cuts , all combine to make the general public
failrly sick and untrusting of any/all politicians.
but they continue,,,
i have documented many of them here at this site over the years,,,
- the cuts to disabled campers here in Bc, yanked all our free camping
passes,,, so now disabled folks cant afford to visit a provincial
campsite,,, after they also raised the rates,,,,
-MMAR - my retarded government offers me the most disgusting example of what
Medical Marijuana should be,, they charge street level drug dealer prices
for inferior garbage pot, any drug dealer would NEVER sell,,, - ground up
entire plant- all the non medical leaf, and useless stalks,, combined into
ground up buds,,, infact this process is a common cheater Drug Dealer move-
cocaine dealers can BUFF their product,- add more crap that is not cocaine,
to make th ebag heavy,, sell itas 1 gram but it isnt its only 1/2 a gram and
he added another 1/2 gram of Buff- usually for cocaine- vitamin-b
my government is employing Product Buffin to make more product,, they are
not offering more medication, people are being Ripped off,, any drug dealer
caught doing this would be shot!!!! i aint kiddin here,,, that is never
done to street pot here in Vancouver,,,
you will Never find a bag of dried ground up powdery stalk leaf anf bud,, of
such poor quality, poor taste and not even close to any bag i can find off a
heroine addicted junkie- he does a better job dealin pot,,, you will get
good pot from those freaks, but our own government????? man its criminal
what they do.
how canadians allow this- well most really dont know/ont care,,, what the
quality of medical pot is,, they dont understand it,,, so they need more
education.
recently Health Canada announced they have now got another strain of pot-
Indica,, they learned that there are 2 main kinds of marijuana- each has
different qualities and effects. for years all they have grown has been
Sativa strain,,, i hate it,, i never use a sativa,,, its like using Crack
for me,, makes my shaking go nuts,,, makes me vibrate, no good as medication
for me needs,,, i use Only Indicas,,,
anywho- there is just no accountability in governments,, easy to hide their
evil deeds
cheers
bobbyD
"Scotty" <L...@de.da> wrote in message
news:vyKei.51291$xq1.23597@pd7urf1no...
Alex
<snip>
> anywho- there is just no accountability in governments,, easy to hide their
> evil deeds
To sum it up in a nutshell, yup, exactly.
The only difference between our government and the "corrupt" governments
of many third-world countries, is that our government is much better at
hiding their corruption.
Our government points to corruption in those countries, call it
"bribery" and insist that its bad. However, in our government, they
call it "lobbying" and insist that its OK.
Its funny. I read the articles about how much taxpayer money has gone
missing in Iraq, and think to myself, "But aren't *we* over there
*teaching* them how to run their government?".
The only step they miss, is slipping the "appropriation" into a
completely unrelated bill, in the middle of the night, and passing it
into law, sight unseen. Other than that, they're doing nothing
different than we do.
Alex
Alex
> Alex wrote:
<snip>
>> But, thats OK, while you're dying from super-triple-drug-resistant blood
>> curdling, lung sucking, heart exploding virus, you can go to Atlanta and
>> watch a movie. It'll make you feel better, and I understand that
>> gardens & waterfalls have a calming effect.
>
> Maybe they'd help keep your head from exploding.
>
>> <Alex's head explodes>
>
> Oops! Too late. :)
:-)
Alex