Where is the Money Going?
Billions for Low-Priority Airports
When the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) decides how to distribute funds for airport improvements, it uses a prioritization system to help determine which projects are the most important. But that system didn’t prevent FAA officials from all... read more
House Health Care Plan Takes from the Rich, Gives to the Middle Class
If the health care reform plan currently in the House of Representatives becomes law, it will shift income from the top of society down to the middle class. An analysis performed by the Tax Foundation concluded that by 2016, when the plan will be ... read more
Bird Droppings and Frozen Fish Sperm Cut From Stimulus Spending
The Obama administration is determined to spend the economic stimulus package wisely, according to White House officials, who announced on Thursday a list of proposals that have been axed because they weren’t deemed a smart investment. The Departm... read more
Pre-Paid Debit Cards: Beware of Hidden Fees
Pre-paid debit cards are proving to be an expensive way for Americans who don’t have checking accounts to conduct their banking, making them an especially lucrative new business for banks. It is estimated that 80 million consumers, more than 25% o... read more
Homeland Security to Transfer 3,200 Contractor Jobs to Government Employees
Although modest in size, the move by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to switch 3,200 jobs back into the hands of government employees marks a change in direction from the outsourcing to private contractors in recent years. At DHS more wo... read more
Organic Farms Struggle to Keep Up with Demand
The organic food movement is becoming a victim of its own success. On the one hand, demand for organic products continues to grow, according to data compiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A new study produced by the USDA’s Economic Resear... read more
5 Democratic Senators Side with Health Industry Lobbyists over Voters
In the defeat of the public-option solution for health care reform, contributions from industry sources seemed to trump polling data. A New York Times/CBS News poll published on September 25 showed 65% of Americans favored a government administere... read more
Pentagon Auditor Allowed Boeing to Keep $271 Million Owed the Government
Despite its name, and primary mission, the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) is not very good at auditing defense contracts. An investigation by the Pentagon’s inspector general concluded that the working environment at the DCAA is “not conduci... read more
Millions of Dollars Wasted at Arlington Cemetery
Accusations of contractor fraud and mismanagement of grave sites have been leveled on the “nation’s most sacred shrine”—Arlington National Cemetery. Investigations by Salon.com have found the cemetery’s deputy superintendent, Thurman Higginbotham,... read more
CEO Pay Drops…Less than 1/10 of One Percent
Pay-for-performance has as much authenticity in the world of CEOs nowadays as a three-dollar bill. Last year, the nation’s financial sector teetered toward collapsing, businesses hemorrhaged a couple million jobs, and the stock market fell 37%. Bu... read more
Americans Believe Half of U.S. Government Spending is Wasted
Half of all expenditures by the federal government are wasted, according to Americans surveyed by Gallup. The level of cynicism with regard to how Washington spends taxpayer dollars is now at an all-time high, with respondents believing 50% of all... read more
U.S. Tax Breaks Help Foreign Oil Production
If the Obama administration wants to get serious about climate change, then it will need to convince Congress that energy subsidies will have to be overhauled. A review of government supports for energy from 2002-2008 revealed most of the tax brea... read more
Winner in European Missile Shield Cut…Raytheon
President Barack Obama’s decision to dump the Bush administration’s plan to deploy a missile defense system in Eastern Europe was great news for defense contractor Raytheon. Instead of deploying missiles in Poland and the Czech Republic at a cost ... read more
House Expands College Aid, Ends Subsidies to Private Lenders
Representing a complete overhaul of how the federal government helps students attend college, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009 cleared the House this week and is now headed to the Senate. The bill would essentially cut banks o... read more
U.S. Spy Budget: $75 Billion (and 200,000 Employees)
For the first time ever, the nation’s top intelligence official has publicly admitted just how much America’s spy operation costs: $75 billion. This amount is considerably more than what Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair said the nati... read more
Agency in Crisis…Government Loses Millions in Revenue from Oil Companies
Yet again the Minerals Management Service (MMS) has been criticized for improperly collecting what is owed to the federal government by oil and gas companies that drill on federal lands. The Government Accountability Office investigated the MMS’ R... read more