Audit the Books!!!

[babylonsister]

Rep. Jim Cooper
Posted November 13, 2008 | 07:24 PM (EST)
Audit the Books!!!


The first thing President-elect Barack Obama should do to get the economy back on track is publicize the financial record of the Bush Administration. Every business knows that "if you can't measure it, you can't manage it."

Auditing the books is standard practice because CEOs want know where they stand financially. And no one wants to be blamed for the mistakes of prior management. If the public learns about President Bush's mismanagement after he is safely back in Crawford, Texas, the bad news could cripple the Obama Administration. People blame the messenger.

Fortunately, such an audit will be released on December 15th. It is the Financial Report of the U.S. Government, issued by the U.S. Treasury and signed by Secretary Henry Paulson. It is the only official government document that uses audited, accrual accounting to describe America's financial position.

It is also one of Washington's best-kept secrets. Neither Bush nor Paulson has mentioned it publicly because it reveals national deficits and debts that are much larger than the public has been told. The media have unwittingly participated in the cover-up.

Last year's Report said that the true national debt or "fiscal gap" was not $4 trillion, or even $9 trillion, but $53 trillion. Understanding the difference between these numbers is vital. Does America have a bad cold, the flu, or is it cancer?

more...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-jim-cooper/audit-the-books_b_143748.html

[lame54]

1. they were destroyed in the fire in Cheney's office

[Joanne98]

2. Amen to that.

[Demeter]

3. It's Worth a Try

Don't know how far one can get, but it sure would create a lot of jobs for newly unemployed paper pushers.