The Department of Homeland Security (*shakes head*) Not again...

They have done it again. A while ago I posted about Brian Doyle and his internet adventure, and now there's more news. More very DHS-esque news. We all know the Katrina incident was bad, and regardless of how you feel about the government, the Department of Homeland Security fucked up. Just when you thought all the damage was done, we find out about this.

According to a recent congressional investigation, the DHS wasted hundreds of thousands of dollars last year on iPods, dog booties, beer-making equipment and designer jackets, among other things, in a 5-month period both before and after Katrina.

More than 10,000 DHS employees carry government credit cards for business expenses, and when Katrina hit, each card's spending limit was raised to $250,000, for emergencies of course. "Emergencies". Investigators said that there was very little if any instruction on how and when to use the cards, and as a result, they were abused. The cards racked up a total of $435 million in the 2005 budget year, way up from the $296 million last year.

But the best part about this story is what the investigators found was purchased on these cards for "emergencies". Here's the list via The Washington Post:

More than 2,000 sets of dog booties, costing $68,442, that have sat unused in storage since emergency responders decided they were not suited for canines assisting in Gulf Coast recovery efforts.

Three portable shower units for $71,170 from a contractor who investigators said overcharged the government. Customs and Border Protection agents could have gotten similar showers for nearly a third of the price, and faster.

12 Apple iPod Nanos and 42 iPod Shuffles, worth $7,000, for Secret Service "training and data storage." Because the Shuffles cost less than $300, the Secret Service said they were not required to track them to ensure they were used properly.

37 black Helly Hansen designer rain jackets, costing nearly $2,500, for use in a firing range that the Customs and Border Protection purchaser later acknowledged shuts down when it's raining.

A beer brewing kit and ingredients for more than $1,000 for a Coast Guard official to brew alcohol while on duty as a social organizer for the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. "The estimated price for a six-pack of USCG beer was $12," the investigators noted, adding: "Given that the six-pack cost of most beers is far less than $12, it is difficult to demonstrate that the Academy is achieving cost savings by brewing its own beer."

Investigators also noted that Customs and Border Protection wasted up to $464,586 by buying meals-ready-to-eat over the Internet instead of contracting through the Pentagon, as is standard procedure. And they found that the Federal Emergency Management Agency cannot locate 107 laptops, 22 printers and two GPS units worth $170,000. FEMA also cannot find 12 of 20 boats the agency bought for $208,000.

Ok, so I guess I can understand the showers, but the rest of that stuff is just crap. I mean, I knew the DHS was negligent, but not this negligent! iPods? Dog booties? Are you kidding me? And forget bashing the residents of New Orleans for looting in the midst of a disaster, WE were the ones doing the looting! Stealing 107 government laptops and 12 government boats is MUCH worse than stealing a loaf of bread and some milk.

Just dissolve this department already. It's proven its worth, and I think it's costing us more having it around than not. This kind of stuff is just rediculous. Read the full story here.