FEMA PAID RETAIL FOR INK CARTRIDGES

[Anonymous]

FEMA paid retail for most supplies
WASHINGTON, DC, United States  — U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency records show the agency, along with four other agencies, has paid retail for many Hurricane Katrina expenses.
It used to take the U.S. government weeks using its voucher system to make an order for goods and have the paper work processed, but the new system of using government credit cards allows government workers simply to charge items.
The credit card limit was $2,500, but following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina the limit was raised to $250,000 per credit card.
Danielle Brian, executive director of the Project on Government Oversight, questioned whether federal agencies needed to pay full retail price rather than seek discounts from manufacturers.
‘I do understand that time is of the essence, but you can still buy very quickly without going to Best Buy,’ she said.
So far, some $19 million has been spent via government credit cards for huge quantities of everything from ink cartridges and Gatorade to $3,125 laptop computers.

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October 18, 2005 at 11:48 AM