WasteWatcher - 2011, March
March, 2011
WasteWatcher
A Monthly Dispatch from Citizens Against Government Waste
Tax Dollars Disappear into Black Hole
by: Leslie Paige
March is National Black Hole Awareness Month, a perfect time to match science with spending. While scientists continue to identify black holes in the far reaches of space, the closest and most deadly vortex is the nation’s $14.3 trillion national debt. Indeed, there are striking similarities between the astronomical black holes and the fiscal abyss facing the United States.
A-Maize-ing Waste: Why Ethanol Subsidies Must Be Repealed
by: Erica Gordon
“I once was lost but now am found; Was blind, but now I see” the amazing waste in the ethanol subsidy program, admitted Vice President Al Gore. A November 27, 2010, Wall Street Journal article confirmed that the ethanol cheerleader and environmental eminence of the climate change movement had backtracked on his support for the program, saying it was a “mistake,” and that he only supported it because he had a “certain fondness for the farmers in the state of Iowa” during his presidential run.
Future Shock
by: Tom Schatz
In the 1986 ad known as “The Deficit Trials,” a young prosecutor speaks on behalf of a poor, tattered generation that by 2017 has suffered the consequences of failing to address what was then a $2 trillion national debt. Today, at $14.3 trillion, or $45,800 for every man, woman and child in America, Washington continues to put off the tough decisions necessary to solve the rapidly growing problem.
Earmark Moratorium Backlash
by: Sean Kennedy
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) became one of the first to voice her support of earmarks when she claimed transportation projects shouldn’t count. This startling reversal of course came on November 15, 2010, less than two weeks after the November 3 election that gave House Republicans a majority. Rep. Bachmann then introduced legislation on March 1, 2011 that championed a local bridge project.
Federal Real Property: Buried Alive!
by: Luke Gelber
When it comes to property management, the federal government is a bit of a pack rat. It likes to purchase and hoard a lot of real estate. Due to a combination of bad incentives and typical government bloat, selling real estate is a long, costly process. As a result, Uncle Sam owns more real property than any other entity in America: 900,000 buildings and structures covering 3.38 billion square feet. The Office of Management and Budget estimates that 55,000 properties are underutilized or entirely vacant, costing taxpayers $1.66 billion to maintain each year. That is probably too much stuff to cram into an hour-long “Hoarders” episode, but it should still be brought to the public’s attention.
