President Obama, speaking in Roanoke, VA, on Friday, actually said the following (video below):
There are a lot of wealthy, successful Americans who agree with me — because they want to give something back. They know they didn’t — look, if you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own. You didn’t get there on your own. I’m always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart. There are a lot of smart people out there. It must be because I worked harder than everybody else. Let me tell you something — there are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there. (Applause.)
If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business — you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen. The Internet didn’t get invented on its own. Government research created the Internet so that all the companies could make money off the Internet.
Out of touch? Yeah, just a bit...
(To read the official White House transcripts of this speech/gaffe/belief, go here.)
According to a Bloomberg story, "Detroit, whose 139 square miles contain 60 percent fewer residents than in 1950, will try to nudge them into a smaller living space by eliminating almost half its streetlights. As it is, 40 percent of the 88,000 streetlights are broken and the city, whose finances are to be overseen by an appointed board, can’t afford to fix them. Mayor Dave Bing’s plan would create an authority to borrow $160 million to upgrade and reduce the number of streetlights to 46,000. Maintenance would be contracted out, saving the city $10 million a year."
Two House committees said Thursday they are investigating wasteful spending by the General Services Administration, following an inspector general's report criticizing a lavish conference in October 2010 in Las Vegas.
The Oversight and Government Reform Committee also released a six-minute video (below) that was reportedly shown at an awards ceremony at the conference in which a GSA employee is applauded and named "commissioner for the day" for rapping about what he would do if he were head of the agency.
Earlier this week, the White House accepted GSA chief Martha Johnson's resignation after she dismissed two deputies and suspended other career employees over the conference, which cost $820,000.
Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa's office issued the following press release regarding a video they uncovered of a General Services Administration (GSA) employee bragging about lavish taypayer funded perks he enjoyed while working there.
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Federal Worker “American Idle” Uncovered:
Winning Video Skit from Taxpayer Funded Luxury Las Vegas GSA Convention
Video featuring Federal Employees jokes about never being under Inspector General Investigation, Lavish GSA Spending
The video clips below are from the U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) October 2010 Western Region Conference in Las Vegas, NV. It was played on Thursday, October 28, 2010 at the “Capstone Dinner Event.”
Obama better prepare, when I’m Commissioner. I’d have a road show like [Acting Regional GSA Administrator Jeffrey] Neely, every time you see me rolling on 20s yeah, in my GOV. Spend BA 61 all on fun. ATF can’t touch GS-15 guns! Cause I buy everything your field office can’t afford. Every GS-5 would get a top hat award. Donate my vacation, love to the nation, I’ll never be under OIG investigation.
In congratulating the winner at the conference, Deputy Commissioner of the Public Building Service David Foley presents an award and jokes about the previous night’s lavish “party that was held in the commissioner’s suite,” having to respond to congressional oversight, and Obama Administration efforts to restrict executive pay. GSA Administrator Martha Johnson later resigned after the GSA Inspector General presented findings of abuse and waste of taxpayer dollars at the conference.
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UPDATE
GSA has issued a statement condemning the video that was released earlier today by Issa’s office, showing GSA employees joking about the 2010 conference.
“This video is another example of the complete lack of judgment exhibited during the 2010 Western Regions Conference. Our agency continues to be appalled by this indefensible behavior, and we are taking every step possible to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again.” - GSA Spokesman
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