No-hassle stealing

We already know about the D.C. credit card scandal, in which untold amounts of city funds have been improperly spent by city employees with city credit cards. The D.C. Council made the obvious move of voting to suspend the program until the city provides information on the program and institutes some safeguards.

And then Mayor Tony, incredibly, vetoed it! Fortunately, the council had an emergency meeting just so they could unanimously override his ass.

The legislation stipulates that the program will be reinstated once the administration provides detailed information about how the cards have been used and what new safeguards will be implemented. But administration officials said that it is difficult to compile the information because bank records for the credit cards do not provide the detailed data that the council has requested.

Hey, fuckwads: it's called a credit card statement. It tells you where the money was charged and how much you spent. Not that hard.

Officials estimate that the program -- which issued 790 Visa cards that were used for about half the city's purchases -- saved the city $2 million last year.

Reviews of city records showed 1,200 incidents -- totaling $5.5 million -- in which employees evaded the $2,500 limit by making multiple charges at the same business on the same day. Furthermore, District agencies have been billed $170,722 in interest since January 2000 for failing to pay bills on time.

Ugh. The D.C. government is, and I mean this in the nicest way possible, ghetto rich. Oh, and what's this today in the paper? D.C. Schools Paid Vendor $240,000 Without Bidding, money that was charged on... school credit cards intended for incidental purchases.

Is there anyone in this city who's not on the take? Anyone? Hello?