Cost of Keeping U.S. Government Secret Rises to $11 Billion

From Antiwar

The Obama administration is breaking records in government secrecy and over-classification
by John Glaser, July 03, 2012

The cost to the federal government of keeping all of its secrets was more than $11 billion last year, according to publicly available records. That total does not include costs incurred by the CIA and the NSA and other spy agencies, because those figures are classified.

John P. Fitzpatrick, head of the Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO), which oversees the government’s classification effort, estimated that including the extra agencies would increase the spending total by “less than 20 percent,” meaning the real total may be more than $13 billion.

Wow! Seriously, 11 Billion at a minimum!!
And of course, the cost don't need to be disclosed by the CIA and the NSA among others.. thats just crazy! I would I imagine their costs are more than an extra 2 Billion dollars, probably way more than that, But, if that is true, Where are the other costs coming from?! What other agencies are classifiying 11 Billion dollars worth of information from the public??

Document reviews conducted by ISOO in 2009 discovered violations of classification rules in 65% of the documents examined, with several agencies posting error rates of more than 90%

The worst of government secrecy has occurred under the Obama administration, which has hailed itself as the most transparent administration ever. According to the ISOO, the government made a record 76,795,945 classification decisions in 2010, an increase of more than 40% from 2009.

Way to be transparent Obama... almost 77 Million classification decisions?! I'm, sure a lot of this has to do with Military information as well, including the 'non-official" classified drone programs among many many other things....Unbelievable!

Just because it still boggles me that he lied sooo blatently about being Mr. Transparent, I have to add this video,


(P.S. at 1:44, Obama states that "information will not be withheld, just because I say so". That is a complete lie considering he just withheld information regarding the Fast and Furious disaster...)


Thoughts?!

Related:
Obama asserts executive privilege on Fast and Furious documents

reply to post by Nspekta


Wow that is so ridiculous! 77million classification decisions!! I don't even know if I really wanna know all those secrets. I don't think Obama knows what transparent means

reply to post by Nspekta

In a nutshell, here is what happens: a person running for the Presidency promises many things in an altruistic manner. They really intend to follow-through with their promises. If that person happens to win the election, they are brought into the fold of the Presidency. They are given a briefing. A "wake-up call" of sorts. In this briefing, many things are revealed.

A. Great. Many. Things.

This is BOOK OF SECRETS material. This is a "fuller" version of history. This is a classified history of pivotal events of the 20th century --the things "we" (commoners) don't know about. The President is brought into the fold, partially or totally, of the BREAKAWAY CIVILIZATION.

When things/actions/events do not make sense, it seems that way to the majority of Earth's citizens because we are not "in the know." Billions? Billions don't mean much these days. These days private citizens are billionaires. Money is merely power. The ELITE have the power, and they keep us (commoners, people not "in the know") roiled and spun-up about petty things like democratic and republican polarization, they keep us angry, bickering ---in the fashion and strategy of the Sith. When there is great confusion and hatred, they operate more freely. They keep us angry for this purpose. They keep us arguing over money, race and religion, all the while forwarding their hidden agenda(s). They play BOTH sides.

Fully transparent government at its best..

The title should read, 'The u.s. taxpayer has purchased more than $11B worth of u.s. government secrets that they will never know."

Our president--or, as some wag styled him, "the current resident of the White House"--is a busy man. Wherever does he find the time to play a little golf? Or take a much-deserved vacation? I know I couldn't do it and still find so many opportunities to tell such rich and satisfying lies to the public--and then bury the truth under the weight of so much classification. It's money well spent, I tell you....

I bet you there are a few internet posters whom are on some of that paperwork. =)

No - guaranteed.

corrupt government +79 million filings+11 billion dollars + People talking conspiracies against their own corrupt government/leaders = not peaches and cream.

transparent-ha!. I see right through his crap, and it aint healthy. this whole administration should be put behind bars. so should the one before it- that way they can take it out on each other. Then we get left cleaning the mess.

reply to post by Ex_CT2
All the gov't's secrets - from UFO crap ( which I don't believe) to the UN? agenda of killing 80% of humanity, (which I do believe) to unending war (to kill 80% of humanity) to bio-terroism, killing and infertility vaccines, to suppressed technology for free energy, to lies of nuclear pollution, to corexit pollution, to big pharma poison, to GM plants and food -- when does the only relatively free population of the US say "no?"

Not until it's too late. Is it too late already?

I'm conservative/libertarian. Not OWS and marxist.

reply to post by Nspekta


We need secrets I know it is a dirty word on boards like this. We have enemies and we should keep military stuff secret. Loose lips sink ships.

Same pile of rubbish was on Dubya.
Ok, maybe a lil less but nevertheless if the next potus bust these number everyones gonna wish, beg for Obama, like he was a saint.

People can't freaking judge these days. Can't really blame since we only get corrupted officials who are everything but accountable, except 0.01% of them.

The next big thing is the next worst thing.

Originally posted by eagleeye2
Same pile of rubbish was on Dubya.
Ok, maybe a lil less but nevertheless if the next potus bust these number everyones gonna wish, beg for Obama, like he was a saint.

People can't freaking judge these days. Can't really blame since we only get corrupted officials who are everything but accountable, except 0.01% of them.

The next big thing is the next worst thing.

Theres that apathy again... Ugh
Yea, im sure it did happen before, now its worse. Your statement says to me that you dont care... Doesnt it seem wrong to classify almost 77 million documents/actions/who knows...? I know there are gov secrets that cannot be revealed due to national security, but to spend 11 billion, at the minimum and probably much more, to keep the truth at bay? On top of that, did you miss the part about Obama claiming he will have the most transparent admn ever?!?
Your argument that dubya did it too is moot.. The current prez is lying to his citizens, and yet the majority of people dont seem to care! Wake up America!! Stop being apathetic!!
Ps, i cant imagine that anyone would call Obama a saint, regardless of whoever the next puppet is in power. Its all the same bs... Things need to change.. Sadly, the apathy in the US is astounding...

reply to post by knoledgeispower


Seems incredibly high, eh? And again, thats just from what is known! The CIA, NSA among others dont need to disclose information on these costs since those in themselves are classified! Mind boggling...

Here are a couple other articles regarding this,

Cost of guarding U.S. secrets rises to $11 billion

WASHINGTON - The price tag for safeguarding government secrets rose by 12 percent in 2011 to a record $11.4 billion.
The year-to-year estimate covers 41 executive branch agencies, but it excludes money spent by the CIA and five other intelligence agencies, where the amounts of money used to protect secrets are substantial but classified.

In a report to President Obama, the Information Security Oversight Office said the amount spent on protecting secrets has grown more than fourfold since 1995, when it stood at $2.7 billion. A decade ago, the amount spent was $5.7 billion, half of last year's figure.

And

More Than $11 Billion Spent Keeping Secrets Secret

The amount the U.S. government spent to keep classified information secret exceeded $11 billion in 2011—12 percent more than during the previous year.

The actual figure is probably much higher, as the estimate does not include classification costs from the CIA, NSA and four other intelligence agencies. Why? Because that information is classified

Costs a lot to pay people to say the ufos are just swamp gas, weather balloons, and chinese lanterns

Re-reading this article from Philly.com
It has a bit more information if you are wondering what type of things are including in the classification decisions,

12 percent in 2011 to a record $11.4 billion.

Last year, nearly half the money the government spent to keep its secrets secret went for protecting computerized classified information systems. About $1.7 billion went for physical security at facilities holding classified information. Another $1.4 billion went for personnel security to determine whether government workers and contractors should be given access to classified information.

Defense contractors and other companies in the private sector spend a much smaller amount on protecting government secrets - $1.3 billion last year, a 1 percent increase from 2010. The oversight office says the figure has remained largely stable since 2006

Look at that one cost.. 1.4 Billion to decide which workers and contractors are privy to information.. That is a HUGE cost! Obivously it is either incredibly innefficient OR there is so much information classified that it costs that much to allow certain individuals the access to the information... ugh.. Money is spent like it means nothing nowadays!!

Then eventually we will have a new cost of keeping the 'cost of secrets' a secret..

Originally posted by THE_PROFESSIONAL
Then eventually we will have a new cost of keeping the 'cost of secrets' a secret..

Indeed, and eventually there will be a cost for keeping that a secret.

And then at some point it will just be easier to round us all up send us to FEMA camps....

Originally posted by Nspekta
Money is spent like it means nothing nowadays!!

Especially when it's not their money.
Don't worry, economy will pick up!

We just need to give the wealthy more money, make more useless wars and other great economic moves for the American population.

A transparent, trickle down economy made just for all of you, the common people.
Now watch Jersey shore and stop complaining, the professionals know how everything works much better than we all do.

It doesn't matter. The American people will NEVER have the balls to do anything about it anyways...

Go back to sleep.

Originally posted by Ashertron
It doesn't matter. The American people will NEVER have the balls to do anything about it anyways...

Go back to sleep.

edit on 4-7-2012 by Ashertron because: (no reason given)

Sadly, i think you're right
I dunno what it will take to wake up the sheep.. Every single day we all read stuff on ATS that should be enough, but dancing with the stars, jersey shore, etc is what the average american feels is 'real news' as well as being spoonfed from CNN and such.. Ugh

Apathy is causing the death of America