As a U.S. military service member I have dedicated the past four years of my life to helping others in need. Now I may not have agreed in the reasons we are "helping" others nor do I have a choice in why we do. Nonetheless I still have a job to do, mine in particular is to make sure our military members have the appropriate gear needed for deployment. I have no problem doing this when it comes to GPS systems for a HMMVW or a vest that will stop a piece of shrapnel, but when I am told spend, spend, spend on anything justifiable so that out budget doesn't get cut, that's when I become upset.
This past year my nephew brought a piece of paper home that explained the school needed donations for a new copy machine. Now this made me think "Why on earth does this school need to scrounge up money for a copy machine?". I am being told by my superiors to get rid of this money before the fiscal year end closeout and this school doesn't have the funding they need. I have spent countless amounts of money on things that will sit on a shelf for years so that the war on terror will have funding. Funding that it really doesn't need, yes it needs some but not the massive amount that we are given. This is a nationwide problem i.e; my sister who worked for a school system was telling me how they were asking for donations so that they could provide classrooms with enough supplies. This school needed donaitions for simple little things that they couldn't purchase because their funding was cut although they needed it.
Tell me why we are putting so much money toward another country when we need to take care of ours. The school system is only one of the areas that is suffering. Our kids today need to have the best education along with the most up to date supplies, because they are our future. Why not let the War on Terror's budget get cut, if all of that money is not being put to good use then give it to someone that needs it.
I always loved the time of year for budget cuts. Everyone in my dad's office suddenly had new computers and new carpeting and office chairs and they were all still looking for things to buy so their budget wouldn't get cut. And I was like, seriously? You are human resources/equal opportunities/the people who handle harrassment complaints. Your department kind of just does a lot of paperwork. What do you need tons of money for?
The other side of that is, the money you don't spend gets cut from your budget next year. So if something comes up where you need to spend more than you did this year, you're kind of screwed.
I was only a dependent so I don't know exactly know how everything works with the budgeting. But could your office like buy a "much needed" new copy machine and computers and donate your old ones to schools in the area? I don't even know what happens to "old" machines when military offices get new ones.
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Wasteful spending is aboundant in our society. My school buys smart boards to spruce up the blackboards in our school yet they can barely afford to keep up lunches. Why dont people spend on the basics rather then all the extras