Uncle Sam must take better care of our money
New Yorkers' average personal income climbed 3.7 percent last year, almost triple the inflation rate. Credit: iStock
$124.7 billion: That's how much the federal government improperly paid out in fiscal 2014 to people who weren't entitled to the money. The total is $19 billion more than in 2013, and more than the $102.6 billion the federal government spent last year on education. The payments were attributable to 124 programs across 22 agencies, chief among them Medicare, Medicaid and the earned income tax credit, according to the Government Accountability Office. Federal officials who are trusted to be stewards of taxpayer dollars have got to do a better job.
