SB 2018-164: Atlasian Wasted Funding Investigation Fund (Tabled)

[NeverAgain]

Senators, I strongly urge a vote against this bill for three major reasons.

First: We already have a budget committee supposedly working on reducing the massive (nearly 5% of GDP) deficit this government holds. To spend taxpayer money on an investigation "Fund" that is to be used by a PI group to do exactly what our Budget Committee is attempting to accomplish seems to be an example of duplicate government spending. Exactly the sort of which this government should be attempting to decrease, not expand upon.

Second: Are we suggesting that a PRIVATE organization shall trifle through intergovernmental records, of which contains private and top-secret information? Ridiculous. Not just to the millions of Americans who could lose their constitutional right to privacy, but also to the now disadvantaged private competitors. Crony capitalism at its finest.

Thirdly: There are NO regulations that stipulate that these resources will be used wisely, sustainably, nor used as a slush fund. To leave the Budget Committee, or any group of politicians for that matter, as the arbiter of reputability should be a joke. If the Budget Committee cannot accomplish any meaningful reform in the 8 months they have been around, how should we be assured that they will wisely choose a Private Organization to receive this contract?

Senators, the constitutional responsibility of our budget and our rising deficit are up to you. Do not pass a bill that would hurt Atlasians' right to privacy, distort the free market, and be a piece wasteful and duplicate spending itself!

I strongly urge a vote against this bill.

Thank you.

[NeverAgain]

You gloss over large portions of my arguments, but I will try and evaluate what you are saying.

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What work? The only discussion about the budget hasn't been for over 2 months. I see no rationale as to how they should be applauded for doing no work for the benefit of the Atlasian people. Truman fully released his budget proposal 3 months ago. Attempt to fund ineffective, inefficient, and inept parts of the government is exactly one of the reason we are in a near $1 Trillion deficit.

 

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1. If you believe that a governmental agency is not reporting its full budget, then that is a serious accusation, of which you should bring up to GM Truman.

2. Continuing with your notion that we do not know if there is wasteful spending because government agencies are not reporting it, or something along those lines. (Side note: I again say that "wasteful spending" is inherently subjective, something that no public or private organization can solve). Then how in the world would a private organization "find these hidden funds," if government agencies are so corrupt as to hide them. Also, this provides a logical fallacy. If we are to suggest that agencies are hiding their wasteful spending, then how is it they make it to the budget? I genuinely don't understand what is accomplished here other than just being a cheap political ploy in the name of "deficit reduction," while accomplishing nothing.

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I have no clue what this means. If you are asking if I think a private organization would be burdening the budget committee, then I can't say that, I am not a member. They seem burdened with their own inactivity enough themselves.

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I established a pretty clear link - Private Organizations will look at governmental data, of which, can contain private and top secret information. This can easily lead to an advantage on the part of this PI firm against individuals or corporations. In addition, if this is a PI firm, being able to look through governmental data means they would be able to easily track down clients means a huge boon for them over their competitors.

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You can make an amendment all you want, but without overarching and complex guidance (requiring more funding), this remains a serious issue.

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Except, that's exactly what you are doing by passing this bill.

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I mean this is just empty rhetoric. It sounds great, but contains harsh consequences. I suggest you, yourself, find the particular cuts you desire, instead of increasing the deficit on some political ploy. That is the real responsibility of a Senator. I would be more than willing to assist, if you choose that as a path.

[NeverAgain]

I'm glad Senator Haslam is taking into concern the issue of Atlasians' privacy, yet this amendment neither helps the issue, nor deficit reduction in general.

#1 Defense is the largest part (half) of our discretionary funding. To take that away from any research on deficit reduction, no matter how frivolous it may be, negates the whole purpose of deficit reduction.

#2 Defense is not only where top secret information is held. Again, a private investigative firm would still be able to look at records from the FBI, ATF, DEA, meaning a significant advantage for them in their private sector work. Even if they are supposedly "barred" from looking at confidential information, there would need to be strict guidelines on what is considered confidential and what is not (of which are not included in the amendment). The cost to do this, would be in both the lost productivity for our civil servants in having to deal with these changes, and the actual monetary cost of investing resources into accommodating this private organization while they do their supposed work. I think it could definitely be argued that the act of looking through all government agencies would cost much more than one million dollars for both the private and public sectors.

#3 This still does not address the underlying issues with the ineffective Budget Committee, nor the fact that this is essentially "passing the buck" of the Congress' constitutional responsibility to a budget and deficit reduction onto a private company with serious ramifications. I recommend that this body review the budget and agencies themselves, instead of reneging on their constitutional obligations.

As I suggested earlier, I have extensive experience with the Budget and Budgetary matters. I would be more than happy to help this body, or the Budget Committee, if they want to take serious steps towards deficit reduction. Throwing money at a problem caused by too much money-throwing is not a solution.