The WasteWatcher
The WasteWatcherTime to End Stealth Tax Increases
Thirty-two states impose ad valorem excise taxes on moist smokeless tobacco (MST). An ad valorem tax is based on a percentage of the price of the product, so the tax rises any time the price of the merchandise increases. This is similar to...
The WasteWatcherTime for a Constitutional Line Item Veto
As the year draws to a close and the nation’s deficit soars to $1.4 trillion, Congress’s spendthrift behavior persists. On December 16, 2009 President Obama signed a $1.4 trillion omnibus spending bill; $446.8 billion of that amount covered six of...
The WasteWatcherWeatherization: More Clouds on the Horizon
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the so-called stimulus package, continues to be a source of contention and controversy as the end of 2009 approaches. When Congress first considered the $787 billion legislation, CAGW expressed...
The WasteWatcherUSPS Wants To Branch Out
The holiday season is upon us; the time of year when the mailbox tends to begin filling up with gift catalogs and greeting cards from friends and family. This is also the time of year when the United States Postal Service (USPS) has traditionally...
The WasteWatcherJobs Numbers and White House Propaganda
One of the cornerstones of the stimulus bill was to create jobs and help the economy get back on its feet. The Obama administration estimated that between 3 and 4 million jobs would be created or saved once the bill was enacted.
The WasteWatcherWasted Healthcare Dollars
As the national debt exceeds $12 trillion and the monthly deficit record of $176 billion was set in October, it would behoove officials in Washington to take reports of wasteful spending more seriously. This is especially true in regard to the tens...
The WasteWatcherAmidst the Healthcare Hubbub, Cap-and-Trade Moves Ahead
While Congress and the American public remain fixated on the contentious healthcare debate, little attention has been paid to S. 1733, the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act, better known as the Kerry-Boxer cap-and-trade bill. Democrats have...
The WasteWatcherTaxpayer Money Flying Out the Door
Even if many Americans don’t think that the stimulus package is working, there is still a desire to ensure that the money is being spent wisely rather than being thrown down a rat hole. But, the news that is trickling out from the states does not...
The WasteWatcherBroadband Boondoggles
Wanted: $4.7 billion for a national broadband grant program. Prior experience not necessary.
The WasteWatcherCongress Plans to Tap Medicare to Pay for Healthcare Reform
The Senate Finance Committee has reported out S. 1796, its version of a health care reform bill. This was preceded, and indeed made possible, by an estimate from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) that the bill would increase federal government...
The WasteWatcherMedicare is Afflicted with Chronic Wasting Disease, and its Catchy
All of the healthcare reform bills currently under consideration depend, to a significant degree, upon eradicating waste and abuse from Medicare in order to offset the costs of the new coverage package. Squeezing waste out of Medicare is a laudable...
The WasteWatcherThe 72 Hour Bill: A Struggle to Read Over the Shoulder of Congress
This summer’s tea parties and town hall meetings drew hundreds of thousands across the nation. Although there were many issues of concern including healthcare, cap-and-trade, and the general overspending problems in Washington, citizens were united...
