COMMENTARY | M&Ms with the presidential seal on them may be a thing of the past. Gone are the coveted golf shirts with the Department of Treasury logo on them. And even the presidential golf balls may lack that extra special distinguishing seal of the golfer-in-chief.
According to an executive order issued by President Barack Obama, all federal agencies are to cut these kinds of expenses to save money. The Reuters report said it could save billions of dollars every year.
The federal government is spending billions on imprinted items every year?
Not really. That figure includes travel that Obama wants cut down. He suggests video- and teleconferencing whenever possible. Not exactly an original idea and I would have hoped some government supervisor would have thought of that years ago when the technology became available.
Obama wants unnecessary expenditures for cellphones and laptops cut too. Probably a good idea. I can just envision some government department ordering a stack of Android cellphones just because there is money in the budget for them. Sad part is, it probably happens.
These measures are part of a series of steps the president has started taking to cut federal spending by executive order. He's making headlines with the latest batch of them, but I would hope that every president would expect agencies to operate efficiently and avoid wasteful spending. It's a shame that the White House has to point it out to them.
I'm guessing the FBI and DEA will continue to get their emblazoned jackets. And the Park Service's insulated travel coffee mugs should probably stay too. There's just something wrong about ending the presidential candy, but I guess they could save by reducing the number of ink pens the president uses to sign a major bill into law.
I'm being silly but, then again, so is the president. Measures that save a few million here and there will not make any appreciable difference when annual budget deficits top a trillion dollars. Granted, every little bit helps, but the country needs a strategic plan to cut the debt. How about a War on Deficits? We seem to have a war on everything else. Let's appoint a czar responsible to fight deficit spending. How far do you think he'd get with this administration?
Common sense measures should not require a presidential executive order. Responsible civil servants should know to save money without being told.
Dan McGinnis is a freelance writer, published author and former newspaper publisher. He has been a candidate, campaign manager and press secretary for state and local political campaigns for more than 30 years.
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