On May 12, 2009 Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) undertook an ambitious project to find out if members of Congress were trying to influence how the funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), aka economic stimulus bill, were being spent.
Update on CAGW’s FOIA Project
On May 29, 2009 Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) released a Wastewatcher describing the current status of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests that were released on May 12, 2009. The purpose of the FOIA requests is to highlight whether or not money from the economic stimulus bill, also known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), is going to benefit certain districts of members of Congress.
PASS ID
In 2005, Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) put on a full court press to stop the implementation of the REAL ID Act. After being attached to a supplemental appropriations bill and being voted on without hearings or any debate, REAL ID was going to be an expensive national ID card that would have put tax dollars and privacy at risk. REAL ID was supposed to be implemented by the end of 2008. Due to states opting out and logistical problems, that deadline has been pushed to the end of 2009, a date that is still impossible to meet.
Fahrenheit 451 Redux at the EPA
In legendary science fiction writer Ray Bradbury’s classic novel Fahrenheit 451, the government suppressed independent thought and analysis for the good of the people. It was better to keep the populace ignorant of differing opinions than to challenge the status quo in the society described in that book.
Beach Houses: Owned By the Rich, Paid For By Everyone
Washington’s next fiscal giveaway: a bailout for wealthy homeowners living along risky, hurricane-prone coastlines. Attempting to find a solution to rising homeowners’ insurance rates, the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing on July 2, 2009 to discuss the Homeowners’ Defense Act as a possible solution.
Stimulating the Dead
When the federal government decided to spend $787 billion to stimulate the economy in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), most Americans understood, contrary to most of the tough talk about accountability and transparency, that a percentage of these funds would be wasted. To try and assuage these fears, Congress and Obama Administration declared that the stimulus money would be focused on “shovel ready” projects.
Public vs. Private: May the Best Contractor Win
The government should not compete with its citizens; it should rely on the private sector for commercially-available goods and services. This is a common-sense idea: allow individuals, small businesses, and entrepreneurial companies to contract with the government, instead of creating duplicative and expensive government-run agencies and programs.
Obama’s $106 Billion War Supplemental
On April 9, 2009, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a summary of the administration’s proposed fiscal year 2009 Supplemental Appropriations Act, stating that it “is the last planned war supplemental.” In the bill, President Obama sought $83.4 billion to fund “ongoing military, diplomatic, and intelligence operations.” The OMB release stated that “the President will not tolerate it being turning into a vehicle for political projects. He has made it very clear to Congress that he will not accept any earmarks in the bill – and he will not tolerate the bill being loaded up with unrelated items. The era of irresponsibility is ending.”
Obama Administration Proposal Would Cost U.S. Jobs
The Obama administration keeps coming forward with proposals that would undermine the economic recovery even as it claims to be trying to save it. At least $1 trillion has been spent to supposedly “stimulate” the economy and the budget deficit is at a record level. Yet, the economic gurus within the executive branch have floated another proposal that is both incongruous and counterproductive.
Healthcare Reform: A Pricey Prescription
President Obama promised this would be the year of health care reform, but many are bracing for what this “reform” could really mean. After much anticipation, Democrats have started to unveil their healthcare reform plans, revealing new policy proposals that would, among other things, expand Medicaid, impose individual and employer mandates, enlarge the almost bankrupt Medicare program, create a new government-run healthcare plan, and cost at least $1 trillion over 10 years. The overall result will inevitably be higher taxes, less patient choice, and ultimately, rationing of care.