The WasteWatcher
The WasteWatcherTaxpayers 1, Rep. Obey 0
When House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) announced his plans to wait until closed-door conference committee meetings between the House and Senate to insert earmarks into spending bills, he declared, “I don’t give a damn if...
The WasteWatcherTidbits
Congressman Kanjorski (D-Pa.) joins a mushrooming list of members of Congress whose earmarking habits are getting a lot of media attention. Over an eight-year period, Rep. Kanjorski steered $10 million in earmarked federal funding (from the Energy...
The WasteWatcherMurtha Intel Earmark Dispute
Representative John ‘Jack’ Murtha (D-Pa.) has long been known inside the beltway for using threats, power plays, and backroom deals to control spending decisions. Now the American public has been treated to a view of the congressman’s strong-arm...
The WasteWatcherReal ID Nightmare
George Orwell’s 1984 provided a chilling look into a future of a Big Brother government obsessed with control and surveillance of the populace. Even though he brilliantly chronicled the trials and tribulations of Winston Smith, Orwell left out one...
The WasteWatcherMichigan’s Bold iPod Plan
Michigan’s budget deficit recently surpassed the $1 billion dollar mark. With tax revenues being steady, the only conceivable reason for the budget deficit is out-of-control spending. On April 5, Michigan House Democrats issued an education plan...
The WasteWatcherBudget Showdown in Georgia
Unless they get their act together, House Republicans in Georgia could lose their power just as fast as they acquired it. After 130 years of Democratic dominance in the state legislature, a Republican majority was elected in 2006, but the members...
The WasteWatcherRep. Boyda Imprisons Taxpayer Money for Museum
Rep. Nancy Boyda (D-Kansas) deserves to “do some time” for her theft from the taxpayers of $100,000 for an egregious earmark she added to the 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act. The Kansas Regional Prisons...
The WasteWatcherSolar Wall Symbolizes Failed Energy Policies
Congress and President Bush may revive a plan to build a giant solar panel system on the headquarters of the Department of Energy (DoE). Intended to symbolize the government’s commitment to clean energy, the so-called “sun wall” instead shines a...
The WasteWatcherDeval Patrick's Pork-Barrel Politics
When Governor Deval Patrick (D-Mass.) campaigned for the office, he pledged to change Beacon Hill’s “politics as usual.” Unfortunately for the taxpayers of Massachusetts, his three month term has been anything but.
The WasteWatcherAbstinence of Logic
Abstinence education is not just for teenagers anymore. In a strange shift in guidelines for grant awards, the government’s official message of no sex prior to marriage will be directed at single individuals up to 29 years old. Hypothetically, this...
The WasteWatcherBioterrorism Spending
After the 9/11 attacks and the deaths of five people exposed to anthrax spores sent through the mail in 2001, the federal government began pouring billions of dollars into biodefense research and development. However, throwing money at a problem...
The WasteWatcherTis the Season for Government Negligence
When the government tries to play Santa Claus, bad things happen. The Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) allows certain charitable organizations exclusive access to federal workplaces to solicit contributions from employees. The contributions can be...
