The WasteWatcher
The WasteWatcherByrneing Down the House
The so-called “stimulus” bill signed by President Obama on February 17 has come under withering fire for being rife with wasteful boondoggles whose purposes are increasingly deemed to be more politically motivated than economically sound. The bill...
The WasteWatcherThe RUS: A Fiscal Ruse
The so-called stimulus bill passed by Congress and signed by the President grows government so much it would even make FDR blush. There are countless expenditures included in the bill that have nothing to do with “fixing” the economy. One such...
The WasteWatcherThe USPS: Finally, Running Like A Real Private-Sector Business!
Unfortunately, U.S. Postmaster General John Potter has apparently decided that the business model he wants to emulate is that of beleaguered General Motors, whose Chief Executive Rick Wagoner took a 64 percent increase in his salary in 2007 while...
The WasteWatcherEconomic Crisis, Congressional Reward
With the economy in recession, a national debt of $10.6 trillion, and a record estimated deficit of $1.2 trillion for the fiscal year, it seems a strange time for Congress to be receiving a raise, yet that is exactly what is scheduled to happen as...
The WasteWatcherStimulus Turns Federal Funding Spigot Into a Raging Firehose
With our nation’s faltering economy, businesses, communities, and families are undoubtedly suffering. However, they will not receive relief in the near future from the Democrat’s new federal fiscal stimulus proposal. According to a stimulus...
The WasteWatcher580,000 Square-Foot Money Pit
On Tuesday, December 2, the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) opened its doors to its owners – the taxpayers - for the first time. After six years of construction and countless revisions, what seemed like a never-ending project has finally reached...
The WasteWatcherHow to Build A Bigger Boondoggle
The media has settled on a politically palatable historical metaphor for the new Obama administration and it is Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Time made it official when it put a photo of Barack Obama as FDR on its cover for its November 24, 2008 issue...
The WasteWatcherA Word of Caution for President Obama
President Obama and Congress are in the process of putting together a “stimulus” package in order to spur the economy and create or save 3 million jobs. The House of Representative’s proposal contained $275 billion in tax cuts and $526 billion in “...
The WasteWatcherMassive Expansion of SCHIP
Congress is poised to pass a massive expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Originally, SCHIP was designed to help low-income families who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid gain access to health insurance for their...
The WasteWatcherCongressional Oversight Needs Improvement
The House and Senate convened for the 111th Congress facing a record budget deficit and are currently considering a massive “stimulus” spending package. Now, more than ever, increased oversight of federal programs is essential to ensure that...
The WasteWatcherThe Mayors’ Stocking Stuffers
In anticipation of the rapid passage of a $1 trillion stimulus package as soon as President-elect Obama and the new Congress take office in January, the U.S. Conference of Mayors released its wish-list of what it called “shovel-ready” projects that...
The WasteWatcherFat Corporate Welfare Payouts
On November 4, 2008 Barack Obama won the battle for the Presidency. On January 20, 2008, he will face many difficult challenges. The national economic and financial crisis will place a heavy burden on the federal government. With a $1 trillion...
