The Washington Post had a truly appalling front page article over the weekend on efforts by the administrator of the General Services Administration to undermine oversight and investigation into contracts by the agency's Inspector General (IG). According to the Post article, GSA Administrator Lurita Alexis Doan has proposed cutting the IG's budget by $5 million, described the IG's efforts to oversee the agencies contracts as having "gone too far" and that they "erode the heath of the [GSA]." Ironically, Doan has also suggested shifting responsibility for oversight of contracts outside of the GSA by - you guessed it - contracting for the service with a private company! (She has made no comment on who would oversee those particular contracts.) Not surprisingly, Doan was a former government contractor and recent political appointee of President Bush. GSA Administrator Doan Among major government agencies, the GSA has given the third highest amount of contracts in the federal government over the last five years - $86.3 billion according to FedSpending.org and is responsible for managing over $50 billion annually in contracts for the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, and other agencies. Of all places, this is where independent oversight and investigation surely is warranted and should be encouraged, not undermined. WP: GSA Chief Seeks to Cut Budget For Audits