Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, October 14, 1994 TAG: 9410140095
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
Armed with government-issued credit cards, federal workers are pricing everything from cookies to computer chips under a new law that has Uncle Sam bargain hunting.
``No more $600 toilet seats!'' President Clinton declared Thursday as he signed a bill that drastically alters the way the government buys goods and services.
The law is designed to simplify the government's rule-laden purchasing system that the White House says costs up to $50 in paperwork for small items. It allows federal employees to buy exactly what they need, bypassing a cumbersome layer of bureaucracy that now shadows nearly every government transaction.
``Gone are the days when the $4 stapler will cost $50 worth of paperwork,'' Clinton said.
For years, horror stories have abounded about outlandish government spending on everyday items, such as toilet seats and screwdrivers. The scandals long have been fodder for late-night talk show hosts.
``What will Jay Leno do?'' Clinton quipped at a Rose Garden ceremony. ``There will be no more $500 hammers, no more $600 toilet seats, no more $10 ashtrays. Al Gore will never get on David Letterman again.''
The law is part of Vice President Gore's broader effort to ``reinvent government,'' an initiative he promoted last year with a high-profile, lighthearted appearance on Letterman's talk show. Gore has won praise for the effort, although critics say his savings estimates are overly optimistic.
The purchasing bill allows government managers to buy items costing less than $2,500 without going through a separate procurement bureaucracy. That means managers can use a government credit card to shop at the local retail store.
Credit card records and a requirement to clear purchases through a supervisor will keep a lid on fraud, the White House says. The cards have been used for a limited number of government purchases since 1988.
The administration estimates that the government will save $50 on every credit card purchase.
by CNB