(Washington, D.C.) – Today Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) released its WasteWatcher, a monthly dispatch to members of the news media, highlighting some of the most prominent fiscal issues affecting American taxpayers.  The stories from February’s WasteWatcher edition are listed in part as follows:

The List Nobody Wants to Make:  The 2015 GAO High Risk List
By Leslie Paige
Anyone who has spent time on social media in recent years has inevitably noticed the proliferation of lists.  There are lists associated with everything from 24 Things Only People Who Love Valentine’s Day Will Understand to Double Vision: Top Ten Most Famous Twins and the 50 Funniest Grumpy Cat Memes to 13 Off-Beat, Kinda Weird, But Totally Cool Things to Do in L.A.  There are even lists about other lists.  In fact, there are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of websites hopelessly devoted to posting almost nothing but…lists.  Read the full story here.

Home Mortgage Crisis 2.0: FHA Policies
By William M. Christian
On February 11, 2015, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julian Castro testified before the House Financial Services Committee at an oversight hearing on the Federal Housing Administration.  The hearing was convened two weeks after the FHA announced on January 28, 2015 that it was reducing its premiums even though the agency’s insurance fund is woefully undercapitalized, has already needed one bailout from the Treasury, and continues to put taxpayers at risk.  Read the full story here.

Prime Cuts 2015: Bipartisan Proposals Included
By Sean Kennedy
After expanding control of the House of Representatives and taking over the Senate in the November 2014 elections, Republicans have a clear mandate to reduce spending.  Read the full story here.

The Internet Showdown
By Deborah Collier
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler has set February 26, 2015, as the date when the agency will meet and vote on President Obama’s plan to establish unprecedented and extraordinary parameters for government control over the Internet.  Read the full story here.

When Will Congress Fix the 340B Drug Discount Program?
By Elizabeth Wright
The 340B drug discount program was created in 1992 to help uninsured, impoverished individuals obtain low-cost prescription drugs.  Unfortunately, the program has strayed far from its original intent, as pharmacies and hospitals are enriching themselves at the expense of the intended beneficiaries of the program.  Read the full story here.

Keeping the Skies Safe
By P.J. Austin
As air travel becomes ubiquitous, the federal government must ensure that the crowded skies are both friendly and safe.  In order to reassure the public that these objectives can be achieved, the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) air traffic control system must be modernized and air traffic controllers must be adequately trained.  Read the full story here.

Preempting State Law Is a Slippery Path
By Deborah Collier
On February 2, 2015, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler released a statement supporting the petitions from Chattanooga, Tennessee and Wilson, North Carolina requesting federal preemption of state laws that restrict municipal broadband networks.  Read the full story here.

McAuliffe’s Shakedown in Charlottesville: Highway Robbery
By William M. Christian
“Road to Rio” was a popular 1947 installment of the “Road” series of comedies starring Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Dorothy Lamour.  But in 2015, it is “Rio Road” that is not sitting well with audiences in Charlottesville, Virginia.  Read the full story here. 

CAGW is the nation’s largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.