Liz Saville Roberts: “I think the basic problem here is the financial loss. In 1991, as has been stated in the debate, when the GPO lost $1.2…”

“I think the basic problem here is the financial loss. In 1991, as has been stated in the debate, when the GPO lost $1.2 million, 1992 losses began to increase to $5.2 million; in 1994, losses topped out at $21.8 million. Even during this fiscal year, the GPO has already lost $13 million. Only the Federal Government, it seems to me, would continue to run an agency at a total loss to the taxpayer. There is a lot of red ink down there, we have to fix it. The first question that comes to mind is, where does all the money go in regard to the GPO? Every study that we have had in regard to this operation says about 80 percent of all the GPO costs are dedicated to personnel costs. Now, the second question that comes to mind is this: Why is so much money being lost? Well, I do not think we can blame the employees. That is not the intent. They are doing their jobs and they are doing them well, for that matter. Rather, it is the advanced technology that has been discussed on the floor in this regard and the move toward something called electronic printing that has changed the way that the GPO does business.”