Report Exposes $8 Billion in Government Waste 

Harrisburg, Pa. - Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW), the nation’s premiere taxpayer watchdog, in conjunction with The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives, a Pennsylvania-based research and education institute, today released the Pennsylvania Piglet Book at a press conference in Harrisburg.  Piglet Books expose wasteful spending by state governments.

“Every year, Pennsylvania lawmakers and bureaucrats waste billions of dollars on boondoggles and unnecessary programs,” CAGW President Tom Schatz said. 

The Pennsylvania Piglet Book identifies $8 billion in potential savings over two years, providing a valuable resource for legislators and taxpayers.  Examples from the report include:

• $30 million in corporate welfare for the PNC Bank to build a new office, condominium, and

       retail section in Pittsburgh;

• $5.4 million on agricultural shows and fairs;

• $3.3 million for incidental expenses for state senators and $1.3 million for senators’ mileage and other expenses;

• $2 million for the development of a 36,000-square-foot House of Blues in Philadelphia;

• $200,000 to help the city of Berwick develop the Silver Moon Restaurant;

“When government expands beyond its proper functions, the result is rampant waste and abuse.  To promote prosperity in Pennsylvania, elected officials need to cut the fat from the state budget and lower the tax burden,” Schatz said.   

The report is available online at www.cagw.org and www.commonwealthfoundation.org.  For answers to further questions, to schedule an interview, or to order a hard copy, please contact Tom Finnigan (202-467-5309, media@cagw.org) or Nathan Benefield (717-671-1901, nab@commonwealthfoundation.org). 

Citizens Against Government Waste is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.  The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives, Inc. is an independent, nonprofit research and educational institute that develops and advances public policies based on the nation’s founding principles of limited constitutional government, economic and personal freedom, and individual responsibility for one’s actions.