The WasteWatcher
Heads in the Sand (or somewhere else)
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) today became the latest in a growing list of Democrats who claim that the federal government does not have a spending problem.
BTOP Program Overbuilds Fiber in Colorado
On February 7, 2013, KUSA-Channel 9 News in Denver, Colorado investigated issues related to the administration of a Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) grant within the state of Colorado, which is reportedly using the funding to build...
One for Three, and Savings for All
“To sequester, or not to sequester?” That appears to be the question for many of our congressional Hamlets.
Rep. Pelosi’s Comment Misses the Mark on the U.S. Budget Problem
This weekend, House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) spoke with Chris Matthews on "Fox News Sunday." During the interview, Pelosi delivered a quote that may be the early front runner for most absurd quote of 2013: “It is almost a false...
Odd Choices in Afghanistan
In late December 2012, the United States Air Force (USAF) did not renew its contract with Alenia Aermacchi, a subsidiary of Italian-based defense contractor Finmeccanica, to refurbish and supply 20 G222s (also known as the C-27A) for the Afghan Air...
It Isn’t 1996 Anymore
The year was 1996. Bill Clinton was in the White House; scientists reported that there might be life on Mars; Dolly the sheep, the first cloned mammal, was born; the T.V. hospital show E.R. topped the Neilsen’s ratings long before the “McDreamies”...
Postal Reform is Coming…
On Wednesday, February 6, 2013, the United States Postal Service (USPS) announced its intention to terminate Saturday first-class mail delivery on August 1, 2013. The announcement will certainly trigger a spirited public debate over the impact of...
Make the Ban on Internet Taxation Permanent
Today’s increasingly digital age has surrounded everyone’s lives with constantly connected laptops, tablets, and Smartphones, with quick, easy access to the Internet. These modern technological achievements are largely due to the fact that since...
Emergency Spending: a Bipartisan Failure
On January 29, 2013, President Obama signed into law a $50.5 billion relief bill aimed at helping victims of Hurricane Sandy. Despite complaints from many fiscal conservatives – Citizens Against Government Waste included – that the bill had been...
Zombie Apocalypse Threatens Taxpayer Dollars, Not Nation’s Security
In December 2012, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) released Safety At Any Price: Assessing the Impact of Homeland Security Spending in U.S. Cities, which focused on Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant programs, including the Urban Areas Security...
Fight for Internet Freedom Continues
Innovation and development of the Internet has been allowed to grow and flourish around the globe for years. However, efforts are being made to change the flow of information and Internet governance through a new U.N.
Police Chiefs Issue Guidance for Cloud Computing
On February 21, 2012, a Swineline blog post proposed that cloud computing is a viable option for law enforcement.