Political Quotes

“Madam President, I am here to discuss the Defense Department's financial audits--or, more accurately, the lack of credible audits. My colleagues know that I am as stubborn as a mule when it comes to my oversight work of the Pentagon's accounting system--or lack of system. I wish I could stop sounding like a broken record when talking about the Pentagon's financial track record. The fact is that the Pentagon is pigheaded when it comes to accounting for taxpayer dollars. It keeps pouring billions of dollars into an antiquated accounting system that doesn't work. Late last year, I read an article that appeared in a national security blog. The blog is called War on the Rocks. This blog article is called ``The Pentagon Can't Count: It's Time to Reinvent the Audit.'' It was written by Steve Blank, a business professor at Stanford University. As a former member of the Defense Business Board, the professor calls for a whole new approach to defense auditing. The Pentagon is spending $1 billion a year--and these are his quotes--``to get incrementally better'' and still, according to him, clean opinions are nowhere in sight. He raises a legitimate question: Why is the Pentagon spending so much money for so little results--meaning money on audits? Thinking outside the box was not in the Defense Business Board's charter, but Professor Blank allowed himself the luxury of thinking outside the box.…”