A video which was created by the IRS to be part of their 2010 training conference illustrates well the government spending problem.  Tens of thousands of dollars were spent on the following video which seems to accomplish nothing in the form of training:

“The IRS recognizes and takes seriously our obligation to be good stewards of government resources and taxpayer dollars,” the agency said in a statement. “There is no mistaking that this video did not reflect the best stewardship of resources.”

The agency said it has tightened controls over the use of its production equipment to “ensure that all IRS videos are handled in a judicious manner that makes wise use of taxpayer funds while ensuring a tone and theme appropriate for the nation’s tax system.”

The agency also said, “A video of this type would not be made today.”

The video was released late in the day Friday after investigators from the House Ways and Means Committee requested it.

The film was made at an IRS studio in New Carrollton, Md., a suburb of Washington. The agency said it uses the studio to make training films and informational videos for taxpayers.

“The use of video training and video outreach through the in-house studio has become increasingly important to the IRS to reach both taxpayers and employees,” the agency said. “In the current budget environment, using video for training purposes helps us save millions of dollars and is an important part of successful IRS cost-efficiency efforts.”

– Fox News

Great use of taxpayer funds?  Not so much, but a good illustration of how government spending has gone completely out of hand.