Obama’s army of PR staffers costs taxpayers $500 million per year

[Uncle Siggy]

President Obama has swelled the ranks of government PR, adding hundreds of new public relations specialists to the federal payroll during his time in office, costing taxpayers a half-billion dollars a year, the government’s chief watchdog said Wednesday.

That doesn’t include the more than $100 million the administration spends annually for help from private sector spinmeisters, nor does it account for the $800 million spent on contracts for advertising in 2015, according to the Government Accountability Office.

“Spending $1.5 billion on government PR activities is a huge waste of money. That sort of spending should be drastically scaled back,” said Chris Edwards, a federal budget scholar at the Cato Institute.

The administration added some 667 PR staffers between 2008, the last full year under his predecessor, and 2011, when public relations staffing across federal agencies peaked at 5,238 people. That’s a jump of 15 percent during those years.

Rest of the article is at the link: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/oct/5/obama-administration-hires-hundreds-pr-staffers/

 

[USincognito]

Does the article link to the actual GAO report?

 

[redleghunter]

President Obama has swelled the ranks of government PR, adding hundreds of new public relations specialists to the federal payroll during his time in office, costing taxpayers a half-billion dollars a year, the government’s chief watchdog said Wednesday.

That doesn’t include the more than $100 million the administration spends annually for help from private sector spinmeisters, nor does it account for the $800 million spent on contracts for advertising in 2015, according to the Government Accountability Office.

“Spending $1.5 billion on government PR activities is a huge waste of money. That sort of spending should be drastically scaled back,” said Chris Edwards, a federal budget scholar at the Cato Institute.

The administration added some 667 PR staffers between 2008, the last full year under his predecessor, and 2011, when public relations staffing across federal agencies peaked at 5,238 people. That’s a jump of 15 percent during those years.

Rest of the article is at the link: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/oct/5/obama-administration-hires-hundreds-pr-staffers/

Now just think...just about every government agency is doing the same thing and now we are in the billions.

 

[Uncle Siggy]

Now just think...just about every government agency is doing the same thing and now we are in the billions.

All that money spent to try to convince people that their agenda is good and is working when it isn't. The most telling poll on that has about 65% of the people in this country don't believe what the mainstream media feeds them...

Another thought along those lines is how many of those PR people are on sites like this (and the others we have visited) pushing the same lines of horse hockey??? (Can you say Chinese Internet "50 Centers") LOL...

 

[Vylo]

Does the article link to the actual GAO report?

Here you go:

http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-16-877R

 

[Hank77]

Here you go:

http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-16-877R

 

[Vylo]

Yeah, unless 2016 had an insane uptick (which is possible), I'm not seeing Obama's PR spending being out of control.

 

[Hank77]

Yeah, unless 2016 had an insane uptick (which is possible), I'm not seeing Obama's PR spending being out of control.

Not considering that we are technically still at war in the Middle East, etc. Lots of info. going out and coming in.
Then there was the whole birther thing that went on for years. All those things cost the taxpayer.
The expense of advertising for Obamacare, etc. etc.

 

[USincognito]

Here you go:

http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-16-877R

Gosh the first thing that stands out to me is less spent overall and less on PR during fiscal '12-15 than was spent during fiscal '06-09.

 

[tulc]

Gosh the first thing that stands out to me is less spent overall and less on PR during fiscal '12-15 than was spent during fiscal '06-09.

Pesky facts!
tulc(always getting in the way of a good propaganda rant!)

 

[VanillaSunflowers]

President Obama has swelled the ranks of government PR, adding hundreds of new public relations specialists to the federal payroll during his time in office, costing taxpayers a half-billion dollars a year, the government’s chief watchdog said Wednesday.

That doesn’t include the more than $100 million the administration spends annually for help from private sector spinmeisters, nor does it account for the $800 million spent on contracts for advertising in 2015, according to the Government Accountability Office.

“Spending $1.5 billion on government PR activities is a huge waste of money. That sort of spending should be drastically scaled back,” said Chris Edwards, a federal budget scholar at the Cato Institute.

The administration added some 667 PR staffers between 2008, the last full year under his predecessor, and 2011, when public relations staffing across federal agencies peaked at 5,238 people. That’s a jump of 15 percent during those years.

Rest of the article is at the link: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/oct/5/obama-administration-hires-hundreds-pr-staffers/

President Obama has swelled the ranks of government PR, adding hundreds of new public relations specialists to the federal payroll during his time in office, costing taxpayers a half-billion dollars a year, the government’s chief watchdog said Wednesday.

That doesn’t include the more than $100 million the administration spends annually for help from private sector spinmeisters, nor does it account for the $800 million spent on contracts for advertising in 2015, according to the Government Accountability Office.

“Spending $1.5 billion on government PR activities is a huge waste of money. That sort of spending should be drastically scaled back,” said Chris Edwards, a federal budget scholar at the Cato Institute.

The administration added some 667 PR staffers between 2008, the last full year under his predecessor, and 2011, when public relations staffing across federal agencies peaked at 5,238 people. That’s a jump of 15 percent during those years.

Rest of the article is at the link: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/oct/5/obama-administration-hires-hundreds-pr-staffers/

Being Obama's administration was put up for GOA investigation in 2010 this new pursuit isn't a surprise. Save for he's leaving office in January. And no one can touch him.
After all the Republicans crowed for nearly 8 years about him and they never did a thing to stop his pursuits.

 

[VanillaSunflowers]

Gosh the first thing that stands out to me is less spent overall and less on PR during fiscal '12-15 than was spent during fiscal '06-09.

Well gosh, the first thing I'd do if I were really concerned about facts and figures is put in the work to satisfy my own curiosity. http://www.budget.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/GAO PR Agency Spending.pdf

 

[Uncle Siggy]

Well gosh, the first thing I'd do if I were really concerned about facts and figures is put in the work to satisfy my own curiosity.

That's why so many depend on Snopes and all of the other dopey fact checkers, they don't care...

 

[Uncle Siggy]

After all the Republicans crowed for nearly 8 years about him and they never did a thing to stop his pursuits.

Because they would have been labeled racists by the PNN (Progressive News Network) also known as the MSM or Lame Stream Media...

 

[Uncle Siggy]

Now just think...just about every government agency is doing the same thing and now we are in the billions.

Another thing I wonder about is how many of these supposed PR people have Internet websites that write bogus articles that get used on CF and other sites all the time, and are claimed to be factual/accurate by those who post them...

 

[VanillaSunflowers]

Because they would have been labeled racists by the PNN (Progressive News Network) also known as the MSM or Lame Stream Media...

I remember hearing a commentator, I don't know if they were commenting as a journalist or as a politician, or an insider as it has been awhile. In any case, the person was asked why they thought Obama hadn't yet been impeached. They said because the talk on the Hill is, if he was impeached it would look as if it was racist. Racially motivated. Impeaching the first black American President in history.

I don't for a minute doubt that Obama knew that prior to his swearing in. The world then was getting more and more politically correct and afraid of facing the truth. Especially in America.
Therefore, it would be politically expedient to just wait out his eight years, because there was no way history's first was going to serve just one term, and let it all be a lesson in history itself.

I've noted this before. There's a thread in the American Politics forum about Political memes. One posted there I can't forget. Because I agree with it completely.
I'm paraphrasing but I'm not off by much. Once you realize Obama hates America, everything he's done makes sense.


I'd add his wife to that as well. I read lips. During the flag day ceremonies not that long ago the camera's circled round to the first couple. Michelle Obama leaned over to Barack and said, "all this for that <Staff Edit> flag." Obama nodded and continued to applaud the ceremonies.
To think Hillary has his blessing.

 

[Uncle Siggy]

To think Hillary has his blessing.

Birds (er crooks) of a feather flock together...

 

[VanillaSunflowers]

Another thing I wonder about is how many of these supposed PR people have Internet websites that write bogus articles that get used on CF and other sites all the time, and are claimed to be factual/accurate by those who post them...

Not that long ago a friend emailed me an article about government trolls, I think that was the term, planting threads in political and religious forums so as to garner information about the citizens responses to the topics.

I deleted the email after I read the article. Did that appear here? It was a big deal for awhile I guess and especially in social media.

 

[VanillaSunflowers]

Birds (er crooks) of a feather flock together...

True. Throw down bread and seagulls go nuts. They'll even help other gulls eat. But certain types of gulls will be attacked by different looking ones. Because that bird isn't one of those thought to be worthy of eating.

 

[Uncle Siggy]

They said because the talk on the Hill is, if he was impeached it would look as if it was racist. Racially motivated. Impeaching the first black American President in history.

You do remember him playing the race card when he was running for POTUS the first time? Something nonsensical about he how looked different than everybody else just because he was black...