The federal government is not your mom and therefore is not in the business of setting the table for lunch, says a new decision from the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The watchdog agency has banned the federal government from supplying employees with disposable silverware, plates, and cups for purely personal use.
As the decision notes, “It is axiomatic that public funds are generally not available for the cost of personal items for the public’s employees,” and eating utensils which inevitably “serve no purpose other than accommodating employees’ personal tastes” just don’t make the cut.
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