WasteWatcher - 2011, September
September, 2011
WasteWatcher
A Monthly Dispatch from Citizens Against Government Waste
Slash Spending Now
by: Erica Gordon
President Obama was quite clear on his expectations for a deal to raise the debt limit: “The only bottom line that I have is that we have to extend this debt ceiling through the next election, into 2013.” While the President blatantly telegraphed that he cared only about his own reelection rather than taking responsibility for the nation’s fiscal issues, House Republicans offered solutions that would have ensured that lawmakers remained accountable for their actions, instead of simply giving elected officials a pass. However, congressional leaders spun their wheels as they found it impossible to negotiate with a wavering White House.
Without Major Reforms, SSDI Program Headed for Insolvency
by: PJ Austin
According to a June 14, 2011 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) trust fund is on track to run out of money by 2018. Although the SSDI’s financial woes have been exacerbated by a dramatic increase in claims resulting from a weak economy, the program’s problems run much deeper.
Technology Policy Update – September 2011 WasteWatcher
by: Deborah Collier
On August 16, 2011, CAGW recently filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on a petition from the National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA) seeking clarification on the commission’s interpretation of Section 652 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. This section imposes cross-ownership restrictions on cable operators and incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) in order to prevent the two then-dominant service providers in each local area from merging and thereby controlling the only two wires to a customer’s premises.
To Honor the Fallen, Stop Wasting Money
by: Luke Gelber
When the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was established in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, lawmakers decreed that the new House and Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittees would not accept earmark requests. The decision to keep earmarking out of DHS funding decisions seemed to show that members of Congress truly believed in protecting national security. It also made the point that elected officials in Washington know how easy it is for opportunistic legislators to leverage a crisis for parochial benefit.
