The 6 biggest federal foul-ups in 2011

Readers of the Washington Post’s Federal Eye blog have voted and determined that the biggest "government “oops” of 2011 was federal waste — erroneous payments to dead people, fraud linked to the economic stimulus program and inadequate oversight of tax cuts.

Here at Management Watch, we took a similar approach and called on our readers to find other events or political leaders that deserved to be included on this list of 2011 federal fiascoes. Here is a breakdown of some those suggestions:

Pay freeze extension: “Expanded federal pay freeze is unacceptable to me,” commented Scott. “I have a family and bills, why should my family suffer because of the debt, we did not create it. The lawmakers need to vote this bill down. The rich need to be taxed accordingly. As it is now the poor and middle class are being taxed way too much.”

Congressional inaction: “The biggest waste is that we have paid salaries to Congress and their staff for a year of nonsense and lack of action,” another reader said. “Instead of a continuing pay freeze and fed workers paying more for their benefits, I think Congress ought to work with no salary until they get it fixed.”

Transportation Security Administration: “TSA gets my vote for a too powerful department who under the guise of protecting us from 'terrorists' and with the protection of the Orwellian 'Patriot Act',’ treats American travelers with disrespect and a fascist-like approach that makes flying a chore rather than a pleasure,” reader Stig Larsen said.

Republican lawmakers: "Congressional Republicans' DELIBERATE holding the U.S. debt limit hostage to their ‘no new taxes for the rich’ ideology,” Susan S. Pastin said. “Their spurning of Obama's $4 TRILLION offer to ‘go big’ on deficit reduction. Their attitude - if Obama's for it, we're against it.”

Cancellation of Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository: “How about this one, the Obama administration (DOE) canceled the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository after spending $11 billion as a political favor to Harry Reid,” commented Joe NRC. “Reid even had his former aide at NRC, Chairman Greg Jaczko, stop the legally mandated safety review that the NRC was conducting.”

Federal Aviation Administration furlough: “I was totally disgusted with the way the FAA furlough was handled (July 25 through Aug. 5, 2011),” GRL wrote. “As employees, we were treated very poorly. Information was not provided on a timely basis and it took a long while for the decision to be made to reimburse employees for the time lost. Shame on a prestigious agency like the FAA! We expect better from you.”