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Watchdog: Man caves hidden in government warehouse
By Dugald McConnell and Brian Todd, CNN
(CNN) - Contractors at an Environmental Protection Agency warehouse were careless with inventories, and used government furniture and appliances to create hidden “man caves” complete with couches and TVs, an agency watchdog alleges.
Out of sight of the security cameras, and often hidden behind screens or boxes, employees created rec-rooms with furniture and appliances from government storage, according to an audit, feathering their nests with televisions, DVDs, refrigerators, microwaves, and couches.
Perhaps the most elaborate part of the setup was an extensive gym, with weights and equipment to rival a fitness center. Using floor tiles from storage, they carpeted the area, and they used notebooks from storage to record their workouts, according to the EPA inspector general’s report.
The EPA was paying contractor Apex Logistics $1.6 million per year to handle the warehouse, located just outside Washington in Landover, Maryland.
“They set up a gym, they set up all these things with our money," said Ryan Alexander, with spending watchdog Taxpayers for Common Sense. “So we're paying a contractor, so their guys can sit around and watch tv and work out?”
The report also alleges that valuable inventory was going unused. Large amounts of equipment were idle – not just surplus furniture, but new and unopened air conditioners and refrigerators that sat untouched for the past five years.
Photos also show several upright pianos lying on their backs collecting dust.
"Why are we paying people to store things we don't need? It's just waste upon waste upon waste," said Alexander. "We have old computers that have never been opened. We have lots of stuff that we're just not using."
The auditors also reported finding dirty or unsafe conditions – from furniture piled in the aisles, to unsafe electrical wiring, to dust and rat feces throughout the building.
"It seemed that every aisle you walked down – it was a cumulative effect," EPA auditor Robert Adachi told CNN. "There was inefficiency, there was waste, there was potential abuse."
Perhaps most puzzling of all was a box containing expired passports of EPA employees – including diplomatic passports.
"This was just a breach of security," said Adachi, who pointed out that they could be sold on the black market if they fell into the wrong hands. "There were also other sensitive documents that contained personal identifiable information," he said.
The EPA says it takes the report seriously, and is taking corrective steps.
"We took immediate action to secure the warehouse and its contents, and issued a stop work order to the contractor," said EPA spokeswoman Alisha Johnson.
An inventory has almost been completed, she said, adding that "all personally identifiable information has been secured and will be stored or disposed of properly."
Adachi said much of the blame goes to the contractor, whom CNN was not able to reach. But still, he said, while the EPA responded quickly once it was alerted to the situation, the agency was still at fault for what he called "a pure lack of oversight" over the years.
Johnson said the EPA believes this was an isolated case, after reviewing all other storage and warehouses and finding them appropriately managed. She said the agency will implement additional safeguards for their oversight and management.
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I am wondering two things. First why is the EPA spending money on weight sets, pianos,and other stuff that has nothing to do with environmental protection. And second...as that is the real scandal here, why isn't that the major focus of the article.
This is odd and very suspicious indeed. However, don't go acting like that furniture, bulky tv, old weight machines and used carpet squares total anywhere near the 1.6 million you are advertising. The way you guys talk about this I was expecting to see some big plasma tv's and other fancy stuff.
1.6 mill is what it cost them annually to store this outdated junk. It should be sold as government surplus.
And somebody should audit their purchasing department, Suspect they have many cozy relationships with their preferred vendors.
Got news for you this has been going on for decades. at your various other agency's
hey right-wing nutjobs, wanna blame Obama for that, too?
This waste is going on on every level of government across the board. The left hates the TEA Party and loves big government. The government is so big it cannot be managed. No one manages other people's money as carefully as they do with their own. That is why the American citizen is a tax slave to feed the government. We the people work for the government, the politicians that make deals with lobbyist that feed at the tax payer's money trough and the public sector unions. that cannot be fired and are paid for life with benefits the tax payer citizen does not ever get because the government takes over 50% of their money when you add up all the taxes you pay in your daily life AND when you die. The bigger the government the more taxes you pay the more waste and corruption. It's that simple. All the nice sounding bills the congress and senate vote for are full of pork and waste.
Hummm..... I like the fact this type of thing was exposed. However, now I have a hundred questions. First, what was the purpose of the audit? Who conducted the audit? Shouldn't this have been audited before? Who was the manager responsible for this warehouse? What's the purpose of the warehouse in the first place?
Call me dumb but why does the EPA have warehouses full of new stuff:? They are not FEMA.
It apparently is not for their own use either since stuff has been sitting there for 5 years untouched.
So if it is surplus why not auction it off instead of paying to store it and have it go to pot eventually.
Why did they buy all this stuff if nobody is requisitioning any of it.
Baffled.
Call it a "man cave" and it is fraud, waste and abuse. Call it a break room and it is just like every other workplace has.
How much of the $1.6 million dollars per year has been collected from the company?
This comes because of persons that simply do not know how to manage. If they did – they would know where every penny has gone and – what happened to items that were replaced. This comes down to people getting complacient with their jobs, being friends with their supervisors and eventually it all becoming about going in to merely get a pay check. People know about this, please do not tell me they don't. By not getting involved, even if they did not use these spaces > they are just as guilty. Is there ANY supervisors out there doing their darn jobs anymore?
Really people? This is what you call a story? These guys are of the 8 dollar an hour variety. And they did in fact "store" the govs stuff. And wow, just look at those high tech 15 year old TVs. Plus if there's junk there, it isn't their fault.
Geez
welcome to real life. I continue to use older, but completely serviceable gov equipment as i can – but then get yelled at for still using it vs. requesting new stuff since it doesn't have all the pretty new options that are not needed, necessary, and would likley not be used.
ECHELON: America's Secret Global Surveillance Network
I'm an independent, but I can't help but notice that every time a story like this comes out, it's always labeled as an isolated incident. How many isolated incidents does it take before dots are connected to show this is widespread corruption?
This is obviously just a pathetic distraction from what the people higher in the food chain is doing. Going after the little guys does nothing to solve the problem. The things in the picture I see are nothing like I imagined when I read man cave. I was expecting expensive high quality items like full high definition TVs. This article is lame.
The Obama administration has set the tone for the scandals. The fish rots from the top down.
Man caves in warehouses is totally hilarious. What an insanely bloated government. 16 trillion in federal debt. Tens of trillions in unfunded Social Security and Medicare obligations meanwhile the EPA is spending money investigating its warehouses full of junk. Great just great. Ultimately its really sad. Limit Government !!! This Federal Government is not helping us "secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity"
Big deal.
Why are we surprised about government waste? I don't think this is the first or the last agency to lack appropriate oversight. Perhaps they need to spend more on that rather than warehousing things they've purchased and haven't even used.
It sounds like there wasn't a need for the warehouse, and there further wasn't a need to staff it.
If I found myself paid for something really boring and dumb and pointless, like storing obsolete computers, you're damn right I'll build myself a nice little man cave out of the waste for the breaks and what not.
There is a great need and public desire to eliminate waste in government. But lets not go all tea party and demand a cessation to public funding for scientific research and such.
This is a joke right?
Many of these things are stored to keep the 'we cannot get original equipment and now things won't work' from coming into things. Even the pianos I can understand if they are not all 'built the same' and the parts change slightly on a regular basis.
They waste hundreds of billions of dollars on bailouts, and a little floor space and gym equipment is a scandal?!?
I can't believe they used tax payer dollars to buy a 2000 year old TV. Looks like most of that crap they got free from Craig's list.
Looks like an OK break room. Why can't they offer fitness options to their employees? Plus did you see the TV? It was like 20 years old, so maybe saying it was an OK BR was over-rating it...it was average. What is the problem here?
Great to know our tax dollars buy pianos and expensive parties for the IRS.
What I love is when power centers start fighting each other, the dirt finally comes out. Anything one group can use to discredit the other group is fair game and the public wins by discovering corruption. Kind of like when gang members kill each other...a win-win for society.
Politicians have stole trillions of dollars, yet some workers set up a tv and exercise equipment? Is this a joke? Am I supposed to get mad at people who probably ended up being more productive because of light entertainment and exercise?
is this really news?
there are much much much much bigger problems with our tax budget. IRS spending 50 million dollars on dancing lessons, $9000 chairs, $600 shower curtains
And this is news how? Contractors have been known to misuse funds for a long time.
the EPA believes this was an isolated case...yeah riiight
...and some clown will tie this story to Obama in 3, 2, ...
These don't look very elaborate. Let these guys have their gym and make shift man cave. I'd rather pay taxes for them than any lobbyist or politician.
My tax money hard at work. And my comment being read by the NSA, hmm great.
Crazy but expected.... Where they had that contract and warehouse in P.G. County MD. is a very rough county that leads the local news with issues where someone is shot or a house is rushed, something new in this area of the Metro. Thow it is a cheaper area to do anything. They should have stored their stuff across the potomac river in Northern Virginia. You won't have people trying to take advantage of you. You get what you pay for thow.
Contractors are cheaper!! Isn't that how it goes?
Oh yeah...that man cave...$20 TV, fold out table, old chair...really CNN? This could have all been found by the side of the road.
You call that a man cave?? I see the nit picking is not stopping anytime soon. What next? Hey I know, lets do some stories on the lavish spending members of Congress do?
The tip of the iceberg!
Sounds more like an employee break area to me.....big deal....
Maybe we should rethink all this spending now? or wait for more stories of wasteful spending to break?
Okay, so this warehouse was an isolated case, meaning it was ill managed by a contractor – and the storage facility was storing unused, unnecessary stuff – other EPA storage facilities were well managed. Good.
Question...
Are these other storage facilities also storing unused, unnecessary stuff? And if so, at what cost?
Really? this is what the press want's to go after? I suspect Wolf and much of the cnn staff has perks at their workplace. Gym, spa, cafeteria....
Press want's to complain about at microwave, a couch some weights and a stereo? Sure doesn't look like the warehouse workers had much money to put into their workplace.
Give it a break.
Does anyone else care? I mean it's not like they were living in something that would be on CRIBS or even that show Man Caves... These places are dungeons with old TV's, maybe some video games, and a beer fridge... I could really care less
Ha Ha this is happens all the time. There are rec rooms where people can go on break to watch...are you ready for it? CNN and the news. Or regular TV. People use furniture or equipment that is govt property that isn't in use all the time. While in the Army we did this kind of stuff all the time. There is always extra stuff around because you can't just throw it away or sell because it's...are you ready? Government property. And govt contractors and agencies have to be accountable for it all the time. Seriously, this watchdog report is complete exaggeration. If anything it shows that the govt needs to get rid of alot of junk that it has. And that would be true. But as long as its around, people will make use of it. Just like most people at home would make use of a spare TV. Get a grip people.
I would hardly call that a man cave.... please
Maybe it's just me, but they don't look all THAT great...I mean, I see TV's like that at the Thrift Store...
I understand the concept, but why would the EPA need a warehouse to store anything but documents (which should now all be digitalized anyway) Where would these boxes, exercise equipment, TV's etc. come from – ? When something is replaced in an office building is the old item not sold, given away or trashed? No, we pay someone to watch it...that is until they screw up and get caught...OY.
Such lack of oversight is pervasive in the US government apparently, and is appalling and unconscienable, and it says much about what it is we pay taxes on, which is many people getting paychecks who are not doing their job. It is a crime. I don't get paid if I don't do my job. I would get fired. Many levels of government employees are responsible for lack of oversight and accountability. Have a public sale of all the warehoused items which the taxpayer has already owns and accumulated, and there would be enough to pay off half the government debt. There would be no leasing of warehouses, only sufficient government supplies to utilize for its current operations, and nothing more. It is rather infuriating since there is talk of cutting spending on most vulnerable members of society, when this sort of inefficiency is rampant, and has been for decades. I've been hearing about it all my life, and I am close to 60. When will people who actually care about our country start doing something about all this waste and overspending.
When will the heads start rolling? I know this whole, "Bash the Obama administration" is just one, big news cycle, as it happens in every administration. But really, it's time Obama started earning his keep – and that prize – by setting an example, firing a whole bunch of people, and drawing the line for where the buck stops.
I love it when the smoke screen is blown away, but really is anyone surprised?
This is not news. Anyone who works for a living would recognize this as one of many little lounges working people set up for themselves from stuff that's going to be thrown out anyway. So only white collar workers can have lounges? "Taxpayers for Common Sense," more like just another fringe tea party group trying drudge something up for to validate their flat tax libertarian world view.
total non story. really? This is front page news? That's not a man cave? It's a bunch of leftovers thrown in there.
Wow you found the crappiest man cave of all time. REALLY? With all the waste money in government you guys show a TV that could not even be given away.
Why does the EPA even have this stuff? It's no wonder the warehouse personnel took advantage of it. Might as well be used by someone.
Look at that stuff. That probably cost them about $3, assuming all of it didn't come out of the trash.
And how many taxpayer dollars did it cost to get this horrifying misuse of unused materials and equipment? Was the contractor responsible for the unused material and equipment, like unopened refrigerators sitting since 2007, to be used by the owner? Or was the contractorjust supposed to store it? Did the contractor have the authority to demand the inventory be used by the owner? And tens of questions more.
Give me a break. It's audits and reports like this one, that are a waste.
It's not a man cave without an Xbox.
Rome is burning... how sad!
When will we learn?
My government needs to be cut to 1/5th it's current size and watched like a hawk. I wonder what else like this could be found if somebody just looked?
Heil Hitler
This just reiterates the all too common, "if I don't spend it, I won't have it in my budget for next year" mentality in ALL levels of government. From the US Military to your local Elementary School. Until there is a serious oversight agency at all levels of government, this will continue, and so will the increase in taxes. Government workers are of the mindset that the American Taxpayer has too much money.
This. I personally witnessed many frivolous purchases before the end of the fiscal year while working for the DOD. It seems the most popular lately was LCD TVs. Most rooms (cube farm), every break room, and even elevator entrances on each floor, and every main lobby had its own brand new LCD TV. Better TVs than I personally have at home and they mostly play CNN. Other spending included conference tables with legs sold separately, numerous plants, couches and chairs for hallways, and redone landscaping. All of this so they have no extra money to show on their budget.
As far as the man caves, most government facilities have break rooms nicer. One facility I know of has its own fitness room similar to the one shown. I am not sure why since MWR had multiple fitness facilities on post.
...........lol.
if the stupid liberals would spend the welfare money on actual and necessary audits and regulations we wouldn't need a lot of welfare because we'd have more jobs because you have to hire auditors and regulators for one thing, and reducing waste all around is good for our society! But, that doesn't get votes from the masses does it?
Our entire government is clueless.
Yes this is ridiculous, but I think it is crazy that we pay for gyms for our congress, that we are not allowed to see. Gyms that I'm sure don't look like this disgusting pigsty. The only pictures of government gyms I want see are the ones that our congressmen use, that we pay for. Yes, Paul Ryan, I want to see where you work out with your personal guru.
The list for government waste is never-ending and the blame can be put on a number of agencies. These "man caves" are nothing compared to some of the things I've read about and seen over the years. Look at some of the "science studies" millions of dollars are spent on every year... Look at how congress is pushing for brand new tanks even though the military says it's unnecessary. the examples are endless...
Is this a CIA safehouse?
So where was the fraud to the government in measurement of dollars? Does it rise to millions or a few thousand dollars? Although I would agree, the place looked trashy.
The contractor should pay back ALL of the money he (they?) received from the taxpayers and given NO opportunity to declare bankruptcy to avoid payment. As a taxpayer I'm sick of all this and so are most of the people I know
Finally our tax dollars are spent on something understood by "man"
That is not a man cave.
I dont think this is such a big deal. At least not the 'man caves'. If it keeps employee morale up, why not? If they want to hit govt corruption there are much bigger fish to fry.
We're in the midst of historic government intrusion and scandal, yet we're concerned about a couch, a 90's era tv set, and some old gym equipment.
Why is this news?
This stands in for news? If the agencies could afford more audits the shock value may die off a bit when they uncover just how much wasted spending there is in public sector contracts.
Some how this seems of little interests to Obama's and Biden's lavish multimillion dollar vacations.
Our government has THOUSANDS of these same type storage buildings with full air conditioning 24 hours a day 365 days a year paid for by our tax dollars. Our government has gone broke and refuses to get smarter with our tax dollars.
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leave my home alone!
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a man cave? you mean a t.v. with a couple of chairs.
I'm getting really tired of paying for democrats to live the high life. I think I paid my "fair share" a few parties ago.
Why is CNN only reporting about these stories NOW? Where were you CNN at reporting government waste back during 2001 to early 2009 when our economy was hanging on the cliff between recession and depression?
Government waste has always been around, but Wolf Blitzer and CNN only bother to report on it when there's a Democrat in the White House (as if Republicans are so careful with how they spend tax payer dollars).
GM in Dayton had much better "Man Caves." We had a tanning booth.
This story is to typical of the angry, jealous culture we live in.
We can't stand to hear about anybody actually having fun or enjoying any perks on the job– we get jealous and immediately, our "my tax dollars" sensibilities get all twisted up in a wad.
We did something similar at work before. We found some old TVs in storage that weren;t being used, so we hooked them up in our lab so we could watch TV during lunch and whatnot. Could I end up in some petty news article like this for doing that?
You call that a man cave? Come on Man!!! You guys are worse than TMZ!
We're paying for full gym memberships for most law enforcement officers, rent for many under the disguise of "affordable housing" (Dover, NH, for example) though most salaries hover from $50,000 and up to as much as $100,000 or more.
Shocking is the fact that most county/state employees own – OWN latest model vehicles, but if you drive to the nearest school or grocery store, you see civilians' late model used in poor to modest condition.
We are enriching government employees through taxation.
Has to stop.
Millions of these employees believe that they are better, more valuable than the rest of United States citizens.
These statements are based on professional observations for the record.
Look at the stuff in the picture– CRT televisions, cables snaking along the wall. it isn't like they spent severla million tax dollars to buy state of the art stuff. it was old junk sitting in a warehouse– some smart people found it and put it to use. big deal.
Okay, carelessness with personal data is inexcusable, but if all that furniture and equipment was just sitting there for months on end, It's not THAT bad for them to use it. It's not like they got paid extra for creating "man caves". They were paid the same no matter what they did (or didn't do) with the equipment.
Who frigging cares? The news outlets are so desperate for a story they are willing to rake up any kind of muck.
The stuff was taken from storage– in other words, it was not even being used, just collecting dust in a government warehouse. Who cares if some enterprising individuals used that old stuff to make their work more comfortable.
How petty our society has become....
That's the crappiest man cave I've ever seen. I bet if it was a woman cave you guys would be applauding it.
There seems to be no limit to the ways government employees waste taxpayer money. Yet if budget cuts are made or even smaller increases than they want happen all we hear is a hue and cry about how we are starving government.
For 1.6 million a year, you'd think they'd have a nicer man cave that that! Where's the flat screen?
Is this really a surprise?
It is amazing how all of this, and so much more is coming to light.
Am I the only person tired beyond belief that the government squanders untold tax dollars?
I'm sure someone will show how this was all the evil tea party republicans at the EPA. It's obvious that no liberals would ever do such things.
On-site gyms are very common in large corporations. Is this much different?
I'm sure someone will show how this was all the evil tea party republicans at the EPA. Liberals would never do this.
These guys aren't to blame for all of that surplus stuff sitting in storage. They just looked around and said, "hey, let's use some of this stuff." Why not? It was just crap gathering dust. I'm glad that someone got some enjoyment from the stuff. There's nothing wrong with looking for ways to enjoy life. Anyone remember the phrase, "the pursuit of happiness?" The question is why the government bought this stuff in the first place and why they didn't auction it off at govliquidation.com when it became obsolete.
Those are 'man-caves'? They look more like squatters...