4 chapters across the catalog
Pentagon Audit Deadlines and Cyberspace Terminology
The Department of Defense has officially moved its full audit readiness deadline from 2014 to September 30, 2017. This delay ensures that billions of dollars in taxpayer money remain without a validated full statement of budget resources for several more years. The hosts also mock the bill's use of the 1980s-era term "cyberspace" to describe modern internet security and network operations.
The merger of the CIA and the military-industrial complex is criticized for its lack of transparency, particularly regarding the "black budget" used for drone strikes in Pakistan. The hosts speculate that the agency utilizes "pin money" from unrecorded sources, such as international drug trafficking, to finance operations and influence journalists without congressional oversight or public bookkeeping.
Omnibus Bill Earmarks and Federal Budget Totals
The $410 billion Omnibus Bill is moving through Congress with over 8,000 earmarks, including funding for the Carnegie Library in Medford and historic lighthouses. Despite the administration's focus on transparency, the bill has received little mainstream media coverage. The total federal budget is projected at $1.75 trillion, raising concerns about unnecessary spending during a financial crisis.
Peter Orszag, Budget Directives and Iceland Consulting
Peter Orszag, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, is scrutinized for his extensive professional documentation and his past role as a consultant to the Central Bank of Iceland. Orszag has issued highly detailed directives regarding the formatting of transparency reports for the stimulus package.
