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    Obama Orders federal agencies to cut back on mobile devices, vehicles, and printing

    By Jeffrey Van Camp | Digital Trends – Thu, Nov 10, 2011

    President Obama has signed an Executive Order to cut how much government agencies spend on technology devices, printing, swag, and vehicles by 20 percent. This new Order builds on the “Campaign to Cut Waste” that the President stated back in June. According to a White House press release, this campaign has already saved about $3.5 billion in real estate costs and $5 billion on “no bid contract” spending. Obama’s goals for technology saving are quite ambitious as well. Federal agencies will have 45 days to come up with a plan that will reduce their costs by 20 percent by 2013. 

    Here are some of the ways Obama’s staff are suggesting agencies cut costs:

    Lower spending on travel and conferences: By utilizing teleconferencing, webinars, and other forms of communication (we suggest Google Hangouts), the IRS will cut its travel budget by 27 percent in 2012. Other agencies will have to make similar cuts. Get rid of duplicate and unnecessary cell phones, smartphones, laptops, tablets, and PCs: Apparently, many agencies purchase devices but then never use them. The Order forces agencies to limit the number of devices employees have to only those they absolutely need. The Department of Commerce is cutting 2,648 wireless lines, for example.Stop printing so much: The plan is to put more information online and not print things that are available online unless it is absolutely necessary. For example, the Department of the Treasury expects to save $500 million over five years and 12 million pounds of paper by increasing paperless transactions. Use less vehicles: Agencies need to improve the efficiency of the Federal vehicle fleet. The Department of Commerce plans to cut the number of vehicles and drivers it has to save as much as $100,000 per year. For reference, the Federal Government spends $9 million each year on transportation around Washington DC alone. Cut the swag: Agencies need to stop ordering so many promotional items like mugs, pens, and non-work related gadgets that have their logo on it. The Department of the Treasury has taken a lead in this, issuing a directive to avoid purchasing any frivolous or unnecessary items. It’s sad that this has to be a directive.

    This is a good first step in reducing the inefficiencies that have built up in the U.S. Gov’t, but it definitely won’t be enough in the long term. Hopefully, further steps will be taken to cut back on spending and reorganize the bureaucratic nightmare that is our federal government.

     

    (Image via Chicago Sun-Times)

    This article was originally posted on Digital Trends

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    • Hope
      Hope  •  Elmhurst, United States  •  6 mths ago
      Obama should set the example and start with himself....if this is the best he can do when he promised he would "go through every budget line by line and eliminate waste"....he's gonna have to do better then this.
    • mud duck
      mud duck  •  Elkton, United States  •  6 mths ago
      When will this knuckle-dragger do some REAL cuts? Prbably never...15 trillion in debt now..
    • Les
      Les  •  6 mths ago
      Why do we have this so called super committee??
      • mud duck
        mud duck 6 mths ago
        Becase Obama has no clue and cannot lead a one drum band..
    • Agent-X
      Agent-X  •  6 mths ago
      LOL...any savings created will be spent in the time it takes to read this article.
    • James-5
      James-5  •  6 mths ago
      there are 11 agencies with overlaping jurisdiction on most beaches woods and parks--all of them have new vehicles--radios--computers-uniforms-training-etc--they are in your area too folks--so next time you catch a fish and a flock of these uniformed enforcers show up and arrest you for unwittingly catching an ENDANGERED SPECIES--(a federal felony) remember YOU WANTED ALL THESE LAWS AND UNIFORMED ENFORCERS in shiny trucks--its all for your own good !
    • Karen
      Karen  •  6 mths ago
      Will this also include the President's transportation budget? Will his campaign funds be used to pay for the campaign and fundraising trips or will he continue to have tax payers fund them under the guise of "official" business? Will he sell part of the Presidential fleet or maybe that million dollar bus that his staff has to transport around the nation to where every he wants to be able to use it while he flies on Air Force One, surrounded by a squadron of fighter jets? Maybe he will decrease the White House budget that has increased by hundreds of millions each year he has been president? Will he begin to pay for his families vacations overseas that he disguises as "official" business, like Michelle's trips to Spain and Africa)?

      Most of the ideas came straight from Gov. Brown in CA but Obama will take all the praise for them just like when he uses Republican ideas and attempts to make the people think they are his.
    • Agent-X
      Agent-X  •  6 mths ago
      So who will pony up for the 70,000 books that Bill Ayers wrote for OweBama that the state dept bought?
    • SlowNSteady
      SlowNSteady  •  6 mths ago
      Fire every manager who approved technology purchases that are not being used.
    • Joseph
      Joseph  •  6 mths ago
      what about your vacation ( so called business trip).
    • Judy
      Judy  •  6 mths ago
      once again a little too late to do the right thing now , this is something that should have been implemented at least three years ago... Our country needs a leader that leads by example not a do as I say not as i do kinda guy
    • Ryan
      Ryan  •  6 mths ago
      DoD mandated cutting cell phones it a while ago but it's not strictly enforced
    • joe powell
      joe powell  •  Houston, United States  •  6 mths ago
      STATEMENT AT THE END SAYS IT ALL !!!!!


      66 years later!

      What is the story here?
      What happened to the radiation that
      lasts thousands of years?

      HIROSHIMA 1945

      We all know that Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed in August 1945
      after the explosion of atomic bombs.
      However, we know little about the progress made by the people of that land
      during the past 65 years.

      HIROSHIMA - 65 YEARS LATER

      DETROIT- 65 YEARS AFTER HIROSHIMA

      What has caused more long term destruction -
      the A-bomb,
      or
      U. S. Government welfare programs created to buy the
      votes of those who want someone to take care of them?

      Japan does not have a welfare system.

      Work for it or do without.
    • Santa Clause
      Santa Clause  •  6 mths ago
      GROUND, AIRFORCE ONE WOULD SAVE ALOT OF MONEY
    • Donald
      Donald  •  6 mths ago
      What an idiot. Instead of cutting the tools used to support programs how about cutting programs.
    • DookieSince1973
      DookieSince1973  •  6 mths ago
      Obama has already figured out how to cut 12% from the White House Travel Budget. He has decided not to take his campaign tour (oops, I mean Jobs Tour) to States 51-57.
    • joe
      joe  •  Bismarck, United States  •  6 mths ago
      SAVE some Real $$ - get rid of the LAWYERS barack hussein has hired (at taxpayer expense) to fight off the congressional subpoenas for SOLYNDRA !
    • Tiresome Liberal Noise
      Tiresome Liberal Noise  •  6 mths ago
      You are such a JOKE Mr. Obama. You have spent more of the American People's hard earned money in your first 2 1/2 years in office which has been more than any other President totaled in history. And now you want to tell us you're having the federal government cut spending by less cell phone, vehicle and printing usage? Why don't you ground Air Force One to stop wasting money on your expensive vacations and re-election campaign trips? Better yet why don't you just RESIGN!
    • joe
      joe  •  Bismarck, United States  •  6 mths ago
      SAVE some Real $$ - cut back barack hussein obama and michelles VACATIONS !
      Just because the TAXPAYER foots the bill for the first families Travel and Entourage doesnt mean they have to keep globetrotting while the US is Hurting !
    • Popcorn Smith
      Popcorn Smith  •  Gainesville, United States  •  6 mths ago
      Park air force one, and park obamas family until 2012 when we will kick their nasty carcasses out of Our White House.
    • Victoria Two
      Victoria Two  •  6 mths ago
      Good.
     Post a comment
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