While America debates rising deficits, rising debt, and reckless spending bills, the mood in Washington is understandably sour. For the Americans fortunate to have jobs in this recession, there is still a sense of anxiety about what is around the economic corner. For their jobless friends and family, there is only the hope that the White House and Congress are doing everything in their power to turn the economy around. And how are President Obama and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner responding to this mission? By using taxpayer dollars to hire “Humor in the Workplace” experts to cheer up the good folks at the Treasury Department.
That’s right. As the President and Congress debate raising taxes on all Americans, debate a $1.3 trillion government health care expansion, debate a massive global warming tax, and debate cutting missile defense and F-22’s, they are also debating how to flush these hard-earned tax dollars down the drain. On July 9, the Treasury Department released a solicitation for “Humor in the Workplace” contractors, who have the ability to “create cartoons on the spot” and who know “why humor is important.” After buying GM on behalf of American taxpayers, the timing is certainly understandable.
If Congress’s plan to fund their massive government health care bureaucracy through large tax hikes succeeds, America will have one of the highest top tax rates in the world. America’s top earners will be taxed more earners in France, Germany, Japan, and all but a few other developed nations. So when Washington is recklessly spending your money, and then asking you for more, it is reasonable to expect some common sense. Luckily, they do realize their own absurdity when they point out in the solicitation: “This is a business environment and we need the presenter to address a business audience.” Sure, what business in America doesn’t hire someone to draw caricatures?
On the bright side, this is an open job. So if you have special humor talents or a cartoon business and are out of work, you should respond to this source solicitation at psb2@bpd.treas.gov, where applications are being accepted per their procurement notice. And if you’re really smart, you’ll set up franchises across the nation, because the more our economy suffers, the more everyone is going to need a good laugh. Unfortunately, we’re not having one today.
UPDATE: A Senior Advisor with the Treasury Department’s Bureau of the Public Debt reached out to The Foundry in response to this story. Mckayla Braden said: “A recent procurement request for information (RFI) seeking a training consultant to aid managers has been canceled. The RFI did not represent an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars, and we regret the early steps taken on this effort.”
