The WasteWatcher
The WasteWatcherFlying High: HHS Secretary Proves Pork Can Fly
Mike Leavitt’s got a ticket to ride, and he don’t care. The Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary used a luxury private jet, leased by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention for use only in emergencies, to rack up $720,000, or 60...
The WasteWatcherGrifters Give FEMA a Run for Their Money
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released its audit of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) efforts in the aftermath of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina. The report estimated that fraudulent payments totaled between $600...
The WasteWatcherForest Party
Every year, South Carolina Forest Service employees participate in the All Employee Conference. The three-day conference has become an all-inclusive vacation on the taxpayers’ dime. Activities include arts and crafts, horseshoes, and senior bingo.
The WasteWatcherSwimming in Pork
House Appropriations Chairman Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.) went off the deep end recently when he earmarked a whopping $1 million for a swimming pool in his district. Appropriations Committees in the House and Senate act as the gatekeepers to the...
The WasteWatcherA Tale of Two Continents
America and Europe have two different visions of how to succeed in business. Europe does it without really trying, and America does it the old-fashioned way, by working hard and making higher quality and more desired products. This is particularly...
The WasteWatcherThe Hinchey-Rohrabacher Amendment
The federal government’s continuing prosecution of medical marijuana patients undermines federalism and fiscal restraint. For the fourth year in a row, the House will vote on an amendment sponsored by Reps. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.) and Dana...
The WasteWatcherIowa Nonprofit is Latest Earmark Outrage
The Central Iowa Employment and Training Consortium (CIETC) is a nonprofit organization that provides job-training services for the Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) program. As extensively reported by The Des Moines Register, the group’s top three...
The WasteWatcherWaste on a Plane
Any traveler would prefer champagne, fine dining, and ample leg room on their next plane flight. However, most people either cannot afford a premium class ticket or deem it not worth the extra expense. Charging the tickets to the government has a...
The WasteWatcherTaxpayers Get Railroaded
In an emergency supplemental appropriations bill designed to provide $92 billion for the war on terror and hurricane relief, Mississippi Senators Trent Lott (R) and Thad Cochran (R) added $700 million to relocate newly repaired railroad tracks. The...
The WasteWatcherThe Invasive Nature of “Net Neutrality”
The world has seen an incredible increase in computer and Internet capabilities over the last decade. This expansion has been spurred by the capitalist principles of competition. The dynamism of the Internet is now being threatened by politicians...
The WasteWatcherThe CVC - Not a Capitol Idea
With 580,000 square feet, three underground stories, and space three-quarters the size of the Capitol itself, the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) is a monument to Congress’s own excess. It was recently announced that the project is experiencing yet...
The WasteWatcherMrs. Bush, too, Loves the Earmarks
It’s funny how sometimes we just disregard the Constitution and the specific powers it gives to each branch of the federal government. I learned as well as many others in the ninth grade that the power of the purse is given to the Congress, so the...
