The recent investigation by Colorado Public Radio’s Ben Markus into Denver’s “Caring for Denver” program and the Denver Auditor’s report on the city’s shelters have yet again highlighted what we already know: government usually fails to provide services in an effective manner that is conscientious of the real cost to taxpayers.

Back in January, when Mayor Johnston unveiled his “House1000” program, I called for “constant scrutiny” of expansive programs such as this. Millions of taxpayer dollars are shoveled into the furnace of government bureaucracy and the residents of Denver (and residents of any city that implements programs such as these) deserve transparency in how those dollars are spent, how programs are implemented, and most importantly, what results they yield.

Dollars don’t deliver on their own. With such programs, local governments are usually unprepared to handle the influx of revenue. Staffers are usually quickly reassigned to the new programs, internal systems for accountability are rarely in place, and by the time the money has been distributed, nobody cares to check if anything actually worked. The allure of grant dollars is sweet. I can’t blame ambitious individuals for quickly swarming the trough of government dough — especially if the requirements for obtaining such money are lackadaisical (sometimes purposefully).

When reading the aforementioned CPR exposé, it mentions one “provider” that received a $2.7 million grant for some form of “sober living” invented by a martial artist with no apparent experience in mental health services. Those in the program “don’t have to test clean for drugs.” Another $900,000-plus went toward a program (with no licensed mental health providers on staff) that provides “culturally-appropriate exercise” such as yoga and folkloric dance.

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Understandably, when it comes to treating folks with severe mental health disorders or substance abuse issues, a certain amount of experimentation is necessary. With that said, leniency should only extend so far. I have yet to see the study that identifies a lack of folkloric dance as the reason so many Americans are suffering with depression and anxiety, but I may have missed it. There should still be systems in place to measure effectiveness, ensure fraud is dealt with swiftly, and that taxpayers can see city staff (or nonprofits the city is working with) is vetting these programs rather than doling out cash simply because they can.

I agree with my counterpart dollars spent wisely benefit the community. Unfortunately, I don’t find most government programs fit the bill. Most politicians are eager to cite the dollars they put toward a certain issue rather than results stemming from expenditures. Denver has been spending $50,000 or so, per person, per year, to put 1,000 homeless individuals under roofs. That’s not a drop in the bucket.

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My childhood was marred by addiction — my father struggled with alcoholism, drug abuse and homelessness. My mother also later became an alcoholic, the disease eventually killing her eight years ago. Thankfully, my father will be celebrating two decades of sobriety next year. As an adult, I’ve struggled with mental health issues.

The road to giving hope to the hopeless is a long one, and I don’t believe we should always default to the chainsaw when it comes to programs such as these. I do, however, think we should start reaching for the magnifying glass (and perhaps a scalpel).

Sage Naumann is a conservative commentator and strategist. He operates Anthem Communications and was previously the spokesman for the Colorado Senate Republicans. Follow him on Twitter @SageNaumann.