The WasteWatcher

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac – The Voldemort(s) of the Financial Crisis
On January 13, 2010, the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission (FCIC) launched a year-long probe on the financial crisis with two days of hearings, starting with testimony from the CEOs of Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, and Morgan...

The Year of Living Dangerously
The nation will hear President Obama’s first State of the Union Address on Wednesday as he tries to salvage a devastating plunge in popularity for his agenda. But, as bad as it has been for the President, whose support has dropped from 69 percent a...

Time 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...

National Lampoon’s European Vacation
Ostensibly in Scotland to partake in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, several members of Congress are coming under fire for using the trip as a personal vacation. Led by Rep. John Tanner (D-Tenn.) the group, consisting of 12 representatives (eight...

Dithering on the Debt
On December 16, 2009, by a vote of 218-214, lawmakers voted to raise the debt ceiling by $290 billion to $12.394 trillion. This is similar to the limit that banks and other lenders allow individuals to charge on their credit cards. Ironically,...

Time 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...

Weatherization: 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 Agency of Healthcare Potentates
As taxpayers begin to grasp the sheer magnitude and the $787 billion price tag of H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, better known as the “stimulus,” more and more details are being exposed as policy makers have time to read...

Amidst 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...

Jobs 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.

USPS 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...

Wasted 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...