CAGW Releases August WasteWatcher

A Monthly Dispatch From Citizens Against Government Waste

When Regulating, Less is More
By Luke Gelber

It is an intellectually easy task to cast the often important process of deregulation in a negative light. One needs to just conjure images of ruthless industrial-era sweatshop owners or smoke-belching factories to tilt the argument in the favor of the regulators, who are supposedly protecting the masses and the environment from greedy corporate America …

Senate Appropriators Whiff on MEADS
By Sean Kennedy

Senate appropriators do not appear to have gotten the memo …

Retransmission and Must Carry Rules Must Go!
By Deborah Collier

Television has changed vastly since the days analog signals carried only three major networks and one or two other channels over the airways. Today, there is a wide range of viewing options available to consumers, ranging from cable and fiber optic networks on the ground, to satellite feeds and online distribution of programming …

Mobile Government Apps Lack Transparency, Direction
By Aaron Swensen

Since entering the market for mobile apps, the federal government has shown little restraint on deployment and no respect for taxpayers. According to USA.gov, there are currently 107 mobile apps among federal agencies. Given the scope of many of the apps on the website, insufficient planning has resulted in duplication. Even worse, there is no indication of the cost of development and deployment of these new apps to taxpayers. Given these shortcomings, government agencies must coordinate efforts in order to increase transparency and minimize duplication …

Unsolicited Mail Should Not be Funded by Taxpayers
By Maddie Eldridge

There’s a lot that $63,000 can buy: a year’s worth of tuition, fees, and related expenses at Harvard; three years of healthcare costs for an average family of four; a brand new 2012 BMW Z4 Roadster with an automatic transmission and a turbocharged inline-six; or, if you’re a member of the House of Representatives, nine month’s worth of unsolicited mail …