Incompetency Alert! Auditors' Report on the Dept of Homeland Security 2006 FY

Stephanie,
I sure am glad that the folks at FireDogLake.com digested this long (161 pp.) and dry government report (Independent Audtiors' Report on the Dept of Homeland Security's FY 2006 Financial Statement) Although I have nothing but time on my hands this weekend as the city of Tulsa is once again homebound - this time with ice rather than snow (which is worse for driving, IMHO), fortunately I haven't lost power yet, but the ice storm is not predicted to subside until Sunday evening. Anyway, I hope that you are staying warm in that frigid LA weather (50 degrees) compared to 25 degrees here in Tulsa.
Cheers - your radical militant librarian,
Faye in Tulsa, OK

"FEMA was unable to fully support the accuracy and completeness of certain unpaid obligations, and accounts payable, and the related effects on net position, if any, prior to the completion of DHS’s 2006 PAR. These unpaid obligations, as reported in the accompanying DHS balance sheet as of September 30, 2006, were $22.3 Billion or 46% of DHS consolidated unexpended appropriations at September 30, 2006."Independent Audtiors' Report on the Dept of Homeland Security's FY 2006 Financial Statement

"FEMA has lost and/or failed to account for a sum of money that is almost half of DHS’s entire budget and 130 times greater than the amount of money that the Department of Homeland Security is willing to spend to secure the homeland."
Looseheadprop, Blogger at FireDogLake.com

Saturday, January 13th, 2007 at 8:30 am
Hypocrisy Alert: Homeland Security Undocumented!
By: looseheadprop

The Department of Homeland Security underwent an audit. The audit was done by the well known firm of KPMG at the direction of Inspector General Richard Skinner.

The entire report can be found in a very large pdf here but, unless you are a glutton for hundreds of pages of accountant speak, I thought I might save you the eye glazing and sing you some of the real show stoppers from the libretto.

KPMG was unable to render an opinion on DHS’s books because of “financial reporting problems at four bureaus and at the department level.” The auditors found ten material problems, two other reportable conditions, violation of eight separate laws, and a partridge in a pear tree….Oops. Skip that last one. I still have Christmas carols on my mind.

Here’s my favorite. It’s a doozy folks. You may want to read it twice: FEMA was unable to fully support the accuracy and completeness of certain unpaid obligations, and accounts payable, and the related effects on net position, if any, prior to the completion of DHS’s 2006 PAR. These unpaid obligations, as reported in the accompanying DHS balance sheet as of September 30, 2006, were $22.3 Billion or 46% of DHS consolidated unexpended appropriations at September 30, 2006. [emphasis mine]

To give some idea of proportionality, in fiscal year 2005 the entire Grants and Training (formerly know as State and Local Government Preparedness, a/k/a grants to get working radios for NYC firemen and protection for bridges, tunnels, chemical plants and nuclear facilities) was only $171 million.