I Pay Dead People

When the government says it can't operate without more of your money, keep this in mind:

Republican Sen. Tom Coburn wants to knife federal spending for dead people. It’s not like they’ll be hurt by it, right?

Just in time for Halloween, Coburn on Friday is releasing a report entitled, “Federal Programs to Die For: American Tax Dollars Sent Six Feet Under.”

Coburn’s office says that since 2000, at least $1 billion in taxpayer money has gone to 250,000 dead people.

Here are highlights of the report, in its own words:

• The Social Security Administration sent $18 million in stimulus funds to 71,688 dead people and $40.3 million in questionable benefit payments to 1,760 dead people.

• The Department of Health and Human Services sent 11,000 dead people $3.9 million in assistance to pay heating and cooling costs.

• The Department of Agriculture sent $1.1 billion in farming subsidies to deceased farmers.

• The Department of Housing and Urban Development overseeing local agencies knowingly distributed $15.2 million in housing subsidies to 3,995 households with at least one deceased person.

• Medicaid paid over $700,000 in claims for prescriptions for controlled substances written for over 1,800 deceased patients and prescriptions for controlled substances written by 1,200 deceased doctors.

• Medicare paid as much as $92 million in claims for medical supplies prescribed by dead doctors and $8.2 million for medical supplies prescribed for dead patients.

• Congress has established HIV/AIDS funding distribution based on historic numbers of deceased HIV/AIDS patients, while many individuals living with AIDS desperately wait for medical care.

This stuff shouldn't be that hard to fix, but since this money is probably disappearing into the pockets of various Dem interest groups it's going to be a fight to stop it.

And Dems throwing money at dead voters, they're also throwing money at dead candidates:

It might not seem unusual for the state Democratic Party to shower a district with mail pieces promoting an incumbent member one week before Election Day.

But one member for whom they are now spending, Democratic Sen. Jenny Oropeza, died unexpectedly last week at age 53.

State law prohibits replacing a candidate on the ballot or calling a special election to fill a vacant office this close to a scheduled election. So the name of the late Long Beach senator remains on the ballot against Republican John Stammreich and Libertarian David Ruskin.

If Oropeza wins in the safe Democratic district, a special election for the seat will be called in early December when members are sworn in. The state Democratic Party has spent $46,135 to explain that possible outcome to voters in the 28th Senate District.