For eight consecutive years, the city-owned and operated Hilton Baltimore has lost money, $5.2 million in 2015. Baltimore’s economy has not been strong recently, and the riots following the Freddie Gray incident haven’t had a positive impact on the city’s tourist business. However, the Hilton was losing money well before the recent troubles. Instead of making $7 million a […]
Senate Hearing on TSA Operations: Frustrated Travelers and Threats to Aviation
This morning, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs held a hearing entitled, “Frustrated Travelers: Rethinking TSA Operations to Improve Passenger Screening and Address Threats to Aviation.” The witnesses included: The Honorable Peter V. Neffenger, Administrator, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) The Honorable John Roth, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Jennifer Grover, […]
OMB Tackles Some Low-Hanging Fruit
On January 20, 2016, Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) weighed in on a request for comments from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on the requirements that should be included in its guidance to federal departments and agencies for improving the management and purchasing of software assets. CAGW recommended that agencies should be required […]
Sugar, ah, Funny Money!
In a March 2013 post on Swineline, CAGW took its first crack at a parody of the 1969 bubblegum classic, “Sugar, Sugar.” Today’s title riffs on the hit song’s first verse (Sugar, ah, honey, honey!), taking the jibe one step further. Readers can decide for themselves whether the not-so-veiled indictment (“funny money”) pertains to either the $49 million in federal campaign donations (more than any other crop sector except tobacco) that keep the sweet supports in place or the exorbitant amounts of taxpayer dollars that are lost on this boondoggle.
RSC Releases Budget Proposal
On March 17, 2016, the House of Representatives’ Republican Study Committee (RSC), chaired by Rep. Flores (R-Texas), released its budget proposal.
Solar Wars: The Revenge of the Subsidies
Those who have followed the solar energy debate may be the only ones aware of “net metering.” For everyone else, it is worth understanding what it means and how it works.
Status Quo for Obama’s Last Budget
The record-setting $4 trillion budget proposed by President Obama for fiscal year (FY) 2017, released on February 9, 2016 contains the usual suspect spending suggestions that he has made for the past seven years, along with a list of proposed cuts.
Government “Shutdowns”: History and Consequences
During the weeks before fiscal year (FY) 2015 ended on September 30, 2015, many in Washington and across the nation braced for the potential of a “government shutdown.” But, on that last day of FY 2015, Congress passed a short-term continuing resolution (CR) that avoided a shutdown and funded the government through December 11. On October 2, President Obama vowed to veto any further short-term funding bills. With the specter of the second government shutdown in three years looming for the holidays, it is helpful to understand how a shutdown works and what the consequences might be.
The Need for More Spectrum Auctions
A May 11, 2015 report from the Brattle Group estimates the value of the 645.5 MHz of licensed spectrum currently in use at almost $500 billion. Beyond the monetary value of this spectrum are the services provided to consumers using licensed spectrum through their mobile devices. According to the report, economists have estimated that the […]
Spending Caps: To Bust or Not To Bust?
On May 5, 2015, the Senate followed the House’s lead and voted 51-48 to approve the conference report accompanying the fiscal year (FY) 2016 Budget Resolution. In other words, Congress did its job and passed a joint budget plan for the first time since 2009.