Showing posts with label 8 billion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 8 billion. Show all posts

Thursday, February 20, 2025

Bad at Math?

 There is plenty to fact check in the news these days.

A recent statement on the DOGE.gov website is attracting attention:

DOGE's total estimated savings are $55 billion. source

A screen shot of one of the contract savings is shown below. The page shows a discrepancy between the number in the outlined box, $8,000,000.00, and the number at the bottom of the page, $8,000,000,000.

That's not the same number. Which should be believed?  This is a clear case of putting more trust in an authentic source document rather than the commentary on it. Was it just a typo? If so, the second number is off by a factor of 1,000.  A larger version of the image may be found here.

The image is a screenshot of a contract cancellation of a "program and technical support services” for ICE’s Office of Diversity and Civil Rights, as described in federal records. DOGE cancelled a smaller number than they claimed. Why? Bad at math?

The $8 billion dollar amount is part of DOGE's $55 billion claim. Are there other errors as well?

When in doubt, search for an original source.