The WasteWatcher
The WasteWatcherDeadly Earmarks
Earmarks can be deadly, according to Air Force Reserve Maj. Eric Egland. Egland, a counter-terrorism operative, military intelligence officer and Iraq War veteran, wrote an opinion piece in The Washington Times on July 2 asserting that national...
The WasteWatcherA Challenge That Should Not Be Met
Six years ago, President Bush called for the establishment of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), “a new compact for global development defined by new accountability for both rich and poor nations alike.”
The WasteWatcherDeepwater in Hot Water
The Coast Guard’s air and sea fleet are aging, with most of the fleet dating back to the 1950s and 1960s. Responding to the need to update the fleet and react to a shifting threat, the Coast Guard created the Integrated Deepwater System in 2002,...
The WasteWatcher“Emergency” Supplementals
“Hope for the best, but plan for the worst” is the approach most Americans try to take when it comes to setting aside funds for a rainy day. For the government, however, national emergencies, and the supplemental appropriations bills that tend to...
The WasteWatcherFederal Government – The Ideal Tenant?
Apparently, the federal government has an aversion to commitment, at least in terms of property. According to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released on January 24, 2008, for the first time in history the federal government is...
The WasteWatcherRhetorical Flim-Flam
In the wake of the March 13 vote on a one-year moratorium on congressional earmarks, it is time for a post-mortem on who said what in the heat of the battle. The amendment, offered by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) to the fiscal year 2009 budget...
The WasteWatcherCorn Ethanol is Not a Panacea
All is not rosy with corn ethanol and other biofuels, according to a February 7 Scientific American online article. The article reported on the release of two new research studies that show that converting corn to ethanol is leading to increased...
The WasteWatcherUn-FIT!?
In April, House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) announced that the House Republican Policy Committee had created the “Fiscal Integrity Task Force (FIT).” Taxpayer groups in Washington were elated. Finally, Republicans in Congress were...
The WasteWatcherDepartment of Defense and Lavish Expenditures
What do earmarks for $10 million for the National World War Two Museum in New Orleans, $18 million for a chapel in Fort Hood, and $5 million for a fence near San Diego have in common? The House of Representatives deemed them to be important enough...
The WasteWatcherPentagon’s Travel System Still Grounded
There are a lot of reasons to complain about air travel: overbooking, rising costs, delays, cancellations, uncomfortable seats, and rude passengers, among others. With all of these hassles, travelers do have a plethora of online travel services to...
The WasteWatcherEarmarks Invade DC
An op-ed in the May 17 Washington Post by Colbert King showed that earmarks know no boundaries. King cited $56 million in projects in the District of Columbia’s budget that were “initiated and approved by the [city] council without extensive...
The WasteWatcherThe Government’s Net Loss
Government involvement in the private sector and technology has been a disaster. The technology industry is a dynamic, fast-moving industry delivering new products to consumers every day and the government is struggling to perform even the most...
