NASA Watchdogs Reveal Odd Explanations For Missing Equipment

Watchdog groups that keep a sharp eye on public spending are saying the National Aeronautic and Space Administration fails to exercise "effective control" over $35 billion worth of property reported in its financial statements.

The groups allege NASA employees have "lost" $94 million worth of stuff during the past 10 years.

Some of the items were located in audits. There are, however, some perfectly... reasonable explanations as to where some of the rest went.

A June General Accounting Office report lists some of the reasons submitted to missing stuff. Some employees played it safe and employed some classic excuses like, "I lent it to someone but forget who" and "I borrowed it for my wife and never got a receipt when I gave it back."

How about this one: "A thorough and reasonable search was conducted but we were unable to locate the missing property. In general, the missing items consist of older equipment that has been replaced or is no longer necessary for standard operations" was given when 65 items totaling $850,000 couldn't be accounted for, according to the GAO.

We think the best one was used by an employee who'd misplaced a laptop computer worth some $4,000. He or she gave an excuse only a NASA employee could give - and possibly get away with.

"This computer, although assigned to me, was being used on board the International Space Station. I was informed it was tossed overboard to be burned up in the atmosphere when it failed."

It's feasible. After all, haven't we all wanted to do just that at one time or another?

FMI: www.gao.gov