Let's face it: the government-consulting complex is one of the biggest scams fleecing American taxpayers today. A recent X post by @beaverd lays it bare, detailing how Deloitte has pocketed over $800 million from Colorado alone since 2011. And for what? Botched IT systems, failed audits, and endless "consulting" gigs that do little more than line the pockets of insiders while leaving citizens with glitchy services and ballooning deficits. This isn't incompetence—it's a feature of the system, designed to keep the money flowing to connected firms like Deloitte.

Take Kristin Russell as a prime example of how this revolving door operates. Her career trajectory reads like a blueprint for crony capitalism. Starting as a VP at Oracle before becoming Colorado's CIO in 2011, serving until around 2014, she jumped ship to head up the state's technology office as Secretary of Technology and Chief Information Officer. Appointed by Democrat Gov. John Hickenlooper, Russell oversaw IT strategies during a period when Colorado was ramping up contracts with big consultants. Then, in a move that's all too predictable, she slid right over to Deloitte in 2014 as Managing Director, leading their "digital government practice" for U.S. states, locals, and education sectors.

Coincidence? Hardly. At Deloitte, Russell leveraged her government experience to help the firm secure even more lucrative deals—deals that often involve the very states she once served. We're talking about pushing cloud tech, AI, and digital transformations that sound innovative but frequently result in overbudget projects and underperforming systems. Colorado's unemployment insurance debacle during COVID? Deloitte was front and center, with their outdated systems crashing under pressure, leaving hardworking Coloradans in the lurch while the firm cashed checks. Nationwide, Deloitte's track record is riddled with similar failures: Pentagon audits they couldn't pass, state systems that hemorrhage money, and all while billing taxpayers exorbitant rates for "expertise" that any competent in-house team could handle.

This isn't just a Colorado problem—it's a national epidemic. The left loves to talk about "public-private partnerships," but what they really mean is funneling your hard-earned dollars to globalist firms like Deloitte (headquartered in London, no less) through no-bid contracts and insider networks. Russell's path—from Oracle's corporate suites to Colorado's capitol, then straight to Deloitte—illustrates how these elites game the system. They regulate and award contracts in government, then cash in on the private side. It's cronyism at its finest, eroding free markets and bloating bureaucracy.

Conservatives have been sounding the alarm on this for years. We need real reform: ban the revolving door with strict cooling-off periods, mandate competitive bidding, and slash reliance on consultants altogether. Why outsource to Deloitte when AI could replace 99% of these overpaid gigs, as commenters on the X post rightly point out? Empower states to build their own efficient systems, cut the fat from budgets, and hold failures accountable—not reward them with more contracts.

If we don't drain this swamp, it'll keep swallowing billions while delivering nothing but excuses. Kudos to @beaverd for shining a light—now let's demand action from leaders who put America first, not consultants' bottom lines. Taxpayers deserve better than this endless grift.