The WasteWatcher
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...
The WasteWatcherLike Father… Like Son?
For the past six years, Sen. Ted Stevens’ (R-Alaska) has put Alaska at the top of CAGW’s pork per capita list. In 2006 alone, he secured a whopping $325 million in pork, or $489 per Alaskan resident. Recent news reports show that his son, Ben...
The WasteWatcherBridge to Nowhere Update
Even though the Bridge to Nowhere has gone nowhere fast since Congress stripped it of its federal earmark, outgoing Governor Frank Murkowski (R-Alaska) is still trying to keep the project alive.
The WasteWatcherFEMA and Trading Spaces
When a participant goes on the popular Learning Channel show Trading Spaces, they have two days to redesign a room in the home of a friend or family member. They must remain under budget throughout the process. Conversely, when FEMA decides to...
The WasteWatcherCollege Town Poverty – Ramen Noodles AGAIN?
It’s an early afternoon on a crisp fall day in an average college town. In preparation for the game, young professionals are piling into local bars and restaurants to see their alma mater play. The late risers are lining up at the numerous...
The WasteWatcherLegal Services Nonprofit Wastes Tax Dollars
Free legal help is getting more expensive for taxpayers and much of the money is going to waste. The Legal Services Corporation (LSC), which received $330.8 million in fiscal 2006, distributes money to 138 local nonprofit legal aid organizations...
The WasteWatcherNewark Mayor Takes Taxpayers for a Ride
With a salary of $186,000, one would think that the mayor of Newark would have no need for taxpayers to pay for his vacations. Think again. Even though former mayor Sharpe James had an annual travel expense budget of $25,000, he is currently under...
The WasteWatcherThe Rail Subsidy That Could
Parents and children alike are familiar with the story, “The Little Engine That Could.” Through perseverance and sheer determination, a small train engine pulled a train over a steep mountain even with the odds stacked against it and when other...
The WasteWatcherA Little Rain, A Lot of Waste in Florida
How can a tempest that failed to arrive cost taxpayers $17 million? That is the estimated price of the impact of Hurricane Ernesto on South Florida. If you thought, as I had, that Ernesto struck the United States farther north and hardly affected...
The WasteWatcherSpending Database is a Big Victory for Taxpayers
On September 18, Congress finally passed S. 2590, the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006. But this victory for taxpayers was not won without controversy and confronting shenanigans caused by spendthrift porkers in the...
