Funny, my wife and I have this rule that we follow whenever big ticket purchases are made, we consult each other before making them, one, to see if we can afford it, and two, to figure out whether it is of necessity. I find it hard to believe that throwing a hundred million around, or even a billion is not done without some sort of public warning, especially when we find out after the fact and can say nothing or do nothing about it. I personally feel that transparency in government should be actively, if not legally, enforced, with consequences for those not adhering to such a policy. Again, if we are talking hundreds of thousands or even millions being spent with proper justification then fine, but hundreds of millions or even billions without a public watchdog to inform the masses before its too late is another. We are all to blame for not demanding this of our governments, and they are to blame for not taking this seriously, and allowing it to happen time and time again. This is where the buck should stop.

TM