WasteWatcher - 2011, April / May
April / May, 2011
WasteWatcher
A Monthly Dispatch from Citizens Against Government Waste
The Pig Book is Dead, Long Live the Pig Book
by: Sean Kennedy
Every year around tax day, Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) holds its infamous press conference to release the annual Congressional Pig Book, which highlights the most egregious earmarks stuffed by members of Congress into the 12 appropriations bills.
Congress Should Plug the Holes Before It Raises the Roof
by: Erica Gordon
As high levels of federal spending persist, the nation is on pace to reach its statutory $14.294 trillion debt limit in mid-May. Debates over whether or not to raise the debt ceiling as well as whether or not to attach provisions to reduce the deficit and debt have ensued. Scare tactics are being employed to compel members of Congress to vote for another increase, or else experience “catastrophic economic consequences” and default on the national debt. Lawmakers face a major dilemma and are gearing up for a fight when Congress reconvenes after the Easter recess.
Oabama's Budget Ignores More Than It Mends
by: Luke Gelber
On April 13, 2011, after calls from both sides of the political aisle for leadership on America’s ballooning deficits and debt, President Obama delivered what has been dubbed “The Debt Speech” at George Washington University. It was widely considered a response to House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s (R-Wis.) “Path to Prosperity” budget proposal, which lays out a blueprint for reducing federal spending by $6.2 trillion in the coming decade. That budget was approved by the House on April 15, 2011, by a vote of 235-193.
Why America Must Lower Its Corporate Income Tax Rate
by: P.J. Austin
America is stuck in the middle of a corporate tax nightmare. While the rest of the industrialized world has realized that low corporate tax rates are necessary to succeed in the twenty-first century global economy, America continues to miss the boat.
Google Under Fire
by: Tom Schatz
Google is the world’s largest search engine, and Android by some estimates is the most popular mobile platform, but the company is facing several problems related to privacy and security, as well as the validity of claims made in regard to software designed for use by the government.
