Tax Money Shell Game

Follow me through on this. It's an exercise in following the money regarding a report in the Seattle Times.

1) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a part of the Bush administration, oversees the operation of the Department of Energy's (DOE) Hanford nuclear facility, also part of the Bush administration, and finds some violations of landfill requirements.

2) The EPA fines the DOE $285,000 plus the cost of emergency-response boats for Benton County and a greenhouse and nursery to aid habitat restoration.

3) The DOE pays the fine and buys boats, a greenhouse and a nursery with funds from its budget out of taxpayer funds authorized by Congress.

4) The EPA deposits the $285,000 fine payment into general funds of the U.S. Treasury.

5) The DOE submits future budget with increases sufficient to cover costs of the $285,000 fine assessed plus the boats, greenhouse and nursery.

6) Congress authorizes disbursement of new DOE budget funds from the U.S. Treasury.

7) DOE gets $285,000 back from the U.S. Treasury plus it get funds to cover the cost of the boats, greenhouse and nursery.

8) In summary, EPA tells DOE to surrender funds and buy stuff for the local community. DOE complies. EPA deposits funds in Treasury. DOE gets approved to take funds from Treasury. DOE gets money returned plus the cost of stuff for the local community.

9) To wrap up, the EPA is out no money and the DOE is out no money, however, the taxpayer picked up the tab for new boats, a greenhouse and a nursery.

If in error, please correct my logic.

All in all, it appears that there are no losers in the mix except for the taxpayers. Undoubtedly, the winners in the whole episode are the folks cruising in new boats and enjoying the flowers, ornamental shrubbery, medicinal herbs and other plants grown in the greenhouse and nursery.

Frankly, the next time the EPA has a hard spot with the DOE, considerable hassle would be eliminated if the Benton County Boats and Plants Department was paid directly from the U.S. Treasury.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.