THRIFTY GOVERNMENT, IT WILL SAVE $100 MILLION OVER MANY YEARS ON $3.6 TRILLION BUDGET!

We are always talking about how the government wastes money. Well no more of that, not anymore thanks to our sharp government accountants (see photo).

It was announced today that about $100 million will be SAVED in the $3.6 trillion budget, by buying paperclips and pencils more carefully-among other things. Nobody apparently thought of this before; like "hey we want to buy $10 million of paperclips from you, can we get a discount?"

Wow, what sharp buyers we have there in the government!

Also they intend on saving $3 million on the seals and logos to be designed for various agencies. We could have saved a lot more if they just went on the internet and typed in LOGO design, I saw some from $10 and up! President Barack Obama called his first formal Cabinet meeting on Monday, telling department and agency chiefs to find ways in the next 90 days to cut at total of $100 million out of their budgets.

Here are savings the White House said already have been identified, a tiny portion of next year's overall budget which is forecast at about $3.5 trillion. Many of the cuts listed by the administration stretch years into the future and will not have a significant impact in next year's spending.

AGRICULTURE

--Combining 1,500 employees from seven office locations into a single facility in 2011 - saving $62 million over a 15-year lease term

--Improper farm program payments, $16 million

--Internet rather than in-person training, $1.3 million

EDUCATION

--Savings in allocation of computer equipment to employees, $8.7 million.

--Eliminating a position at the Paris UNESCO office, closing office, $713,000.

HOMELAND SECURITY

--Buying office supplies in bulk, $52 million over five years.

--Buying multipurpose office equipment, $10 million over five years.

--Consolidation of computer software license purchases, $47 million.

--Transportation and electricity savings, $3 million.

--Ending consulting contracts for creation of new seals and logos, $3 million.

JUSTICE

--Switching asset forfeiture notices from newspapers to Internet, $6.7 million in first five years.

STATE

--Converting immigrant visa processing to electronic correspondence, $1 million.

--Consolidating posts at embassies, saving US AID and Department of State, $5 million annually.

--Consolidation of contracts for communications, office supplies, furniture, medical supplies, 7 percent to 10 percent over current costs which were not given.

--Savings estimated on at tens of thousands of dollars by ending storage of excess equipment.

TRANSPORTATION

--Cost monitoring by senior officials that is saving an estimated 15 percent to 20 percent on projects put for bid under the Obama stimulus package.

VETERANS AFFAIRS

--Canceling or delaying 26 conferences, saving nearly $17.8 million by using less expensive alternatives like video conferencing.

I really think that there may be a few other things to save on like less limos and drivers, and less deputies of every department and less relatives on everybody's payrolls.

Do we really need those thousands of junkets, and a million extra people working for the government this year? NOT! But just try to change those expenses, and you may be surprised how necessary they are.