Just like every year, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, held its annual fireworks safety demonstration, to show the dangers of explosives and sparklers, and also blows up dummies.
This year, the government had some quite important tips and advice. The federal agency advised not to put bottle rockets on top of your head or look directly over a lit mortar shell. They also highlighted that little girls should keep sparklers away from their dresses and their friends’ too.
However, it is important to note that the agency spent $27,009 of taxpayer money on essentially the same video as every year. According to a contract, the federal agency paid $27,009 to CACI Inc. Federal, on June 26. This is the same company, the agency used to create its fire safety video and air it to local TV stations in 2015.
The CPSC advises Americans to “never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks.” It even warns against sparklers, which, according to the agency are as dangerous for kids as firecrackers.
“Parents don’t realize that young children suffer injuries from sparklers,” the agency said. “Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees—hot enough to melt some metals.”
Other tips include: “Never point or throw fireworks at another person” and “Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in metal or glass containers.”
CPSC’s latest video was used by a number of TV stations and news outlets to urge the American public to use firecrackers and sparklers responsibly.
However the issue being highlighted here is the use of taxpayer dollars by federal agencies, while they are obligated to protect the interests of the American people.
Recently, it was revealed that the Pentagon had spent $28 million on uniforms for the Afghan army over ten years. Apparently, the Afghan minister of defense liked a certain camouflage pattern, which was however, not suited for the landscape of the war-torn country.
Republican Senator Chuck Grassley explained the case, saying, “You’d think the Pentagon would have had a good handle on how to pick the right camouflage for uniforms. Instead, the Defense Department gave up control of the purchase and spent an extra $28 million on the wrong pattern just because someone in Afghanistan liked it. It’s embarrassing and an affront to U.S. taxpayers. Those who wasted money on the wrong camouflage uniforms seem to have lost sight of their common sense.”
While the $27,009 may seem like a small amount compared to the $28 million wasted by the Pentagon on camouflage uniforms for the Afghan army, it goes on to show how federal agencies are using hard earned dollars of the American public.
