It’s not often that I get to use the word “penis” on a public policy blog. But with my juvenile sense of humor, I exploit such opportunities whenever they arise.
- I wrote about an unfortunate guy who had his you-know-what amputated thanks to the incompetence of Sweden’s government-run health care system.
- I commented on the nanny-state mentality behind a campaign to ban circumcisions in San Francisco.
- I posted three wretched examples of welfare state waste, including the fact that Uncle Sam has spent about a quarter-billion dollars on penis pumps in the past decade.
And I also managed to produce a couple of posts with the word “penile.”
- I noted that European taxpayers were paying to provide politicians and bureaucrats in Brussels with coverage for penile implants.
- I expressed amazement that the U.K. government decided it is a human right to have taxpayer-financed sex trips to Amsterdam.
These are such good examples that you may be wondering what I could do for an encore.
Well, when the federal government spends about $4 trillion per year, much of it pissed away (pun intended) on useless and counterproductive programs, it’s just a matter of time before we find another example.
In this instance, we return to the world of taxpayer-financed penis pumps. Here are the relevant parts of an AP report.
An Illinois man was sentenced Friday by a federal judge in Rhode Island to more than three years in prison for shipping unwanted penis enlargers to diabetes patients as part of a larger fraud scheme that prosecutors
say bilked $2.2 million from Medicare over four years. …Winner purchased penis enlargers for an average of $26 each from online sex shops and then repackaged and shipped them to patients… Winner targeted Medicare beneficiaries…and persuaded patients to provide their Medicare information by offering free medical equipment and supplies, prosecutors said. …Winner then charged Medicare an average of $284 each for a total of $370,305, authorities said.
I cite this story not because I’m shocked that somebody bilked the government, but rather because it should irritate all taxpayers that it takes so long for the bureaucrats to figure out what’s happening.
My credit card company periodically will block my account, especially when I’m traveling, because of unusual transactions. But the federal government will blindly reimburse fraudsters for years.
The most powerful part of the story, though, is the way that Mr. Winner justified his crimes.
When employees confronted Winner about sending out supplies regardless of need, authorities allege he responded: “It doesn’t cost the client anything as the government is paying for it, and that the government would just print more money, so order more.”
He managed to combine the ills of third-party payer, government dependency, fiscal profligacy, and irresponsible monetary policy in one sentence.
This guy belongs in Washington. Heck, he’s qualified to be a member of the Obama cabinet!
..there’s some dispute whether his name is “Winner”, “Weiner” or “Wiener”…. but I’m at a disadvantage in resolving it, since English is my second language..
…remember, after all, Zorba is just an avatar, a spy trying to sabotage the American people’s long denied redemption trip to HopNChange paradise… a transition already made by virtually every other culture in the world — but long denied to poor Americans oppressed by Cowboy capitalism… have HOPE though, you are CHANGING, you are joining the rest of the world, things will get better now…
Several years ago my mother was supplied with a medicare provided wheelchair at a cost of over $500 to the government. The chair in question retailed from a medical equipment supply catalog at a little over $300. After about 6 months my mother passed away, and the little used chair was stuck away in a closet for severaal months. My father decided that he wanted it out of the house so I took it to my church to use. Almost a year later we were contacted by the company that originally supplied my mom with the wheelchair wanting it back, for unknown to us (and by any indication on the reciept) it was a “Rental”. In other words medicare had rented my mom a $300 wheelchair for $500.
Howdy! I just wish to offer you a big thumbs up for your great information you have right here on this post. I’ll be coming back to your site for more soon.
Spot on with this write-up, I really feel this website needs a great deal more attention. I’ll probably be back again to see more, thanks for the advice!
I quite like reading through a post that will make men and women think. Also, many thanks for allowing me to comment!
I enjoy reading an article that can make men and women think. Also, thank you for allowing me to comment!
Aw, this was a very good post. Spending some time and actual effort to make a great article… but what can I say… I hesitate a lot and don’t manage to get nearly anything done.
When I initially commented I seem to have clicked on the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now whenever a comment is added I recieve 4 emails with the same comment. Perhaps there is a way you can remove me from that service? Thanks!
I consider this particular article , “Penile Moments in Government Waste | International Liberty”, quite compelling not to mention the
blog post was a wonderful read. Thanks for the post-Steven