Report Cites Waste and Abuse at TSA

April 20, 2005

WASHINGTON -- The Transportation Security Administration allowed lavish spending on a $19 million building for its crisis management center, including $3,000 refrigerators and about $500,000 to acquire artwork, silk plants and other items, an inspector general's report said.

A review of the project's expenditures uncovered evidence of suspicious purchases, improper use of government purchase cards, and unethical and possibly illegal activities by federal employees, according to the report released Tuesday by the Homeland Security Department.

Separate government investigations described Tuesday found that airport screeners employed by private companies do a better job detecting dangerous objects than government screeners and that the screeners' performance apparently had not improved since before the 2001 terrorist attacks.

The Homeland Security inspector general examined the project that resulted in the Transportation Security Operations Center in Herndon, Va. It shares a building with the systems operation control division of the Federal Air Marshals Service.

The project, which began with an undeveloped office building, was completed in July 2003. The building includes 55 offices, more than 150 work stations, two watch floors, 12 conference rooms and seven kitchens, the report said.


http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-tsa-spending,0,5520394.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/04/19/tsa.waste/

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Transportation Security Administration official spent $500,000 on art, silk plants and other decorations for a new operations center and then went to work for the vendor after leaving the agency, according to a report from the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general.

The report found that self-imposed deadline pressures, combined with "inappropriate decision-making by individuals who operated with unchecked autonomy" led to waste and abuse in the construction process.

The operations center, located just outside Washington, has a 4,200-foot fitness center with a towel laundry service for 79 federal employees. It also has seven kitchens equipped with refrigerators, microwave ovens, ice makers and dishwashers.

<snip>

They concealed purchases of more than $2,500, including one for $47,449, by splitting them into several credit card transactions, the report said.

The report said that higher-ups at the TSA "quashed" efforts by procurement managers to exercise control.

...more...

:kick: for the morning news readers

...just jealous. But they have a 4,200-foot fitness center for 79 employees. We have about 1,000-foot fitness center scattered across 3 different rooms on my last Aircraft carrier that serviced 5,500. It does seem a bit excessive to me.

:eyes:

"The report didn't identify the former official allegedly involved."

Um-m-m...

Seven kitchens for 79 employees?

Did all 79 have private bathrooms, too?

Our tax dollars at work - for someone else.

The WH picked higher ups in TSA spent money for things for themselves but the Banner reads "TSA wastes money" :grr:

Being a contractor for the FAA for the past five years I have seen more evidence of fraud and abuse in this agency (which works with TSA) than I have anywhere, like people buying expensive computer systems so they can play games and contracts running out of money for inexplicable reasons, as well as not utilizing the people who you contract the work out to, like me.

that's why government employees don't like it when the DEMS are in charge.

n/t