HUD is spending $70 million to teach the groups it gives money to spend how to spend the money, rather than give it to groups who already know how to spend it.

If you teach a man to spend, you’re out $70 million. But, if you pick someone who already knows how to do the job, you’re still out $3 billion in grant money – but, at least you save the training cost.

And, yet, the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is bragging about how it’s spending $70 million on consultants to train its community development block grant recipients how to spend $3 billion in grants wisely.

Seems that some of that consulting help should’ve gone to teach HUD how to choose grant recipients that wouldn’t need so much training.

Case in point: If I wanted to hire someone to do my taxes, I wouldn’t pick an inexperienced guy and pay for him to take a tax course. No, I’d probably just pick up the phone and call H&R Block (or some reasonable facsimile).

And, remember, HUD didn’t just find that $70 million in a briefcase on a park bench somewhere. Probably.

No, the government got that money by garnishing the wages of hard-working Americans and (to hear the IRS commissioner tell it) from patriotic illegal aliens who pay taxes because it’s a pathway to citizenship.

Today, I had the pleasure of discussing HUD’s spending strategy with Stuart Varney on the Fox Business Network. Here’s the video.

Editor’s Note: I didn’t mean to come across looking so dour. Really.

See more "Right Views, Right Now" opinion and analysis.

Featured Video

Biden: 'You Will Pay a Political Price for Not Getting Engaged and Dealing With Gun Safety'

Boehner 'Increasingly Concerned' Democrats Would Rather Have Immigration as a 2014 Election Issue

Rep. DeGette: Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act 'Blatantly Unconstitutional'