Congress and President Bush may revive a plan to build a giant solar panel system on the headquarters of the Department of Energy (DoE). Intended to symbolize the government’s commitment to clean energy, the so-called “sun wall” instead shines a light on the government’s commitment to wasting tax dollars.
Deval Patrick’s Pork-Barrel Politics
When Governor Deval Patrick (D-Mass.) campaigned for the office, he pledged to change Beacon Hill’s “politics as usual.” Unfortunately for the taxpayers of Massachusetts, his three month term has been anything but.
Abstinence of Logic
Abstinence education is not just for teenagers anymore.
In a strange shift in guidelines for grant awards, the government’s official message of no sex prior to marriage will be directed at single individuals up to 29 years old. Hypothetically, this means a recently divorced man or woman weeks shy of their 30th birthday is now a target for taxpayer-funded, abstinence-only education. This will be official policy starting in fiscal year 2007.
Bioterrorism Spending
After the 9/11 attacks and the deaths of five people exposed to anthrax spores sent through the mail in 2001, the federal government began pouring billions of dollars into biodefense research and development. However, throwing money at a problem does not guarantee a solution; there must be proper follow-through and oversight to make sure the money is spent wisely.
Like Father… Like Son?
For the past six years, Sen. Ted Stevens’ (R-Alaska) has put Alaska at the top of CAGW’s pork per capita list. In 2006 alone, he secured a whopping $325 million in pork, or $489 per Alaskan resident. Recent news reports show that his son, Ben Stevens, is trying to follow in his daddy’s profligate footsteps.
FEMA and Trading Spaces
When a participant goes on the popular Learning Channel show Trading Spaces, they have two days to redesign a room in the home of a friend or family member. They must remain under budget throughout the process. Conversely, when FEMA decides to remodel, it tends to extend projects indefinitely and ignore budget limitations. Nonetheless, fans of the home improvement show might still enjoy FEMA’s project along the Gulf Coast.
Legal Services Nonprofit Wastes Tax Dollars
Free legal help is getting more expensive for taxpayers and much of the money is going to waste.
The Legal Services Corporation (LSC), which received $330.8 million in fiscal 2006, distributes money to 138 local nonprofit legal aid organizations across the country to help provide free legal services for the indigent. However, the Associated Press reported in September that audits from the group’s internal inspector general, “Kirt” West, identified questionable spending practices among LSC board members.
College Town Poverty – Ramen Noodles AGAIN?
It’s an early afternoon on a crisp fall day in an average college town. In preparation for the game, young professionals are piling into local bars and restaurants to see their alma mater play. The late risers are lining up at the numerous downtown coffee shops to inject some caffeine prior to kickoff. After the game, there are more festivities – food, drinks, and celebration.
Nothing seems out of the ordinary, until one learns that the federal government occasionally labels such towns as among the poorest in the country. This backwards fact is made possible by the government’s formula that determines distribution of anti-poverty funds.
Newark Mayor Takes Taxpayers for a Ride
With a salary of $186,000, one would think that the mayor of Newark would have no need for taxpayers to pay for his vacations. Think again. Even though former mayor Sharpe James had an annual travel expense budget of $25,000, he is currently under investigation for adding $150,000 for numerous expenses and exotic vacations. The globe-trotting has been chronicled by The Star-Ledger of Newark.
USPS Chief Living Large
The United States Postal Service (USPS) is fond of describing itself as a business, on par with some Fortune 100 companies. However, a recent investigation by the USPS Office of Inspector General (OIG) into allegations of misconduct of one of its chief spokespersons, Vice-President for Public Affairs and Communications (PAC) Azeezaly Jaffer, graphically reveals just how far removed postal business operations are from those of any well-run, private sector corporation.