Buying Mice Saves Your Tax Dollars

[Valerie S. Johnson]

By Valerie S. Johnson

You probably heard the stories years ago about money spent on overpriced toilet seats and other items for U.S. government use.

The Office of Management and Budget recently upgraded its website to provide information about how to make federal programs more effective, including actual examples of successful savings techniques.

The poster children for these efforts are the mice at the Chickasaw National Recreation Area in Oklahoma. Previously, the Interior Department staff spent time and money raising rodents to feed to the snakes and other reptiles at the refuge. They calculated that buying mice from outside vendors could save $15,000 year, which could be better spent on improving and expanding the nature trails.

For more examples of how your tax dollars are being consumed more efficiently, go to http://www.results.gov.