During his 17 years as a senator and representative, Senator Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) has established himself as a staunch opponent of frivolous federal spending. His annual Wastebook has regularly provided valuable information for taxpayers regarding the specific ways the federal government wastes money. Released in October, Wastebook 2012 highlights 100 projects costing taxpayers more than $18 billion.
Amtrak: Throw Money from the Train
Since 1971, the federal government has been subsidizing the for-profit passenger rail system Amtrak. The company received $1.4 billion in 2012, and the House of Representatives increased its appropriation to $1.8 billion for fiscal year (FY) 2013. With a trillion dollar deficit and the national debt at a record $16.2 trillion, federal funding for Amtrak […]
The American Infrastructure Crisis
During rush hour on August 1st, 2007, the I-35W Mississippi River Bridge collapsed, killing 13 people and injuring 145 more. This disaster triggered widespread talk about America’s crumbling infrastructure, an issue that has been put on the backburner amidst the Great Recession. Annually, the United States spends approximately $200 billion on surface infrastructure, though it is not nearly enough to combat collapsing bridges and congested roads.
Spectrum Auction Options Abound
An op-ed by Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski was published on September 16, 2012 in TechCrunch.com, explaining why additional spectrum is so critical to the economy. Highlighting the job creation impact of improved mobile broadband capabilities in the U.S., and citing the growing “apps economy,” which alone has created nearly 500,000 jobs, Chairman Genachowski estimated that nearly 1.6 million U.S. jobs have been created over the past five years due to innovations in mobile technology.
Mandating the Hypothetical: EPA’s Cellulosic Biofuels Mandate
It is no secret that many federal regulations in the United States are ineffective and burdensome to the economy. However, the current Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirement for oil producers to purchase non-existent cellulosic biofuels may be the most absurd.
How Congress Should Avert the Fiscal Cliff
As the economy teeters precariously on the edge of the so-called “fiscal cliff,” it is difficult not to imagine what advice Milton Friedman, the brilliant economist and staunch advocate of limited government and fiscal restraint, would have offered our nation’s lawmakers had he lived to celebrate his hundredth birthday. For those not fluent in wonk […]
The Two Million Dollar Intern
Worth his weight in gold, former astronaut Steve Austin used his super-human bionic strength to fight crime, injustice and international bad guys, all in the name of the red, white and blue. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) now has its own version of “The Six Million Dollar Man,” known as “The Two Million Dollar Intern.”
Owe Back Taxes? Have Some More Cash
It has long been clear that, when monitoring the activities of the federal government, one must often suspend natural expectations for sanity and integrity. For example, anyone who fails to pay taxes should be last in line to collect benefits paid for by taxpayers. But if the results of four recent reports are any indication, tax deadbeats are raking in federal cash.
FCC Understates Success of Broadband
On August 21, 2012, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued its eighth annual report on advanced communications capability in America, pursuant to section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Using the information in this report, the FCC concluded that despite continued investments by the private sector, as well as grants and funding from the universal service fund (USF), there are still 19 million Americans living in 7 million households without fixed broadband capabilities. While that means 95 percent of Americans now have access to broadband, the FCC has determined that “implementation work is far from complete.”
When Regulating, Less is More
In fact, if the findings of two recent reports are any indication, government regulations are choking off a large measure of private-sector activity, and their grip is getting stronger. The first report, “License to Work,” published by the Institute for Justice (IJ) on May 8, 2012, documents the expansion of many ludicrous licensing laws. These regulations, most of which were implemented at the state level in the name of protecting consumers, often amount to incumbent businesses raising barriers to entry. For example, it is easier to make money as an electrician when potential competitors face higher hurdles to doing business in a particular area.