2008: Worst Waste of the Year

Duty Honor Country

Duty Honor Country

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http://coburn.senate.gov/public/ind...Store_id=9badb127-e02d-49b0-946d-a2bd8cb50eae

It took me a while to find the actual report. Most media outlets just had a overview of the waste report. It was a news station in Oklahoma that linked the entire report.

Senator Tom Coburn, the author of the report, is not liked by many. He exposes the people who put the ear marks in the bills. SEN Ted Stevens threatened to resign over Coburn's actions. Too bad more are not like him.

I know I have posted a lot on government spending lately. Right now I am fired up and fear that massive spending that has gone on and has been planned is going to ruin the country. Sorry if I am redundant.

Anyways, here are my favorites from the report.

Inflatable Alligator and Under‐the‐Sea Waterslide – Texas ($367,000)

Tennis Courts and Artificial Baseball Field Turf – New York ($1 million) (this is a repeat funding. NY got $1 million for the same thing in 2000 but behold, they want more)

FCC‐Sponsored NASCAR Events to Promote Digital Television Transition ($350,000)

Senate Restaurants Post Huge Loss ($2 million) got to feed those senators even if it is at a loss

“The check’s in the mail” – IRS Mailings for Rebate Checks ($42 million)

Redecorating Train Station – New Jersey ($1.9 million) this money came from high way funds

Medicare Overpayment for Name‐Brand Drugs with Generic Alternatives ($6.5 million) when seniors buy their own drugs, they buy generic. When it is on the government's tab, name brand baby.

Medicare Overpayment for Name‐Brand Drugs with Generic Alternatives ($6.5 million)

The Unwanted Sidewalk – Kentucky ($1 million)

High Altitude Airship – Ohio ($3.2 million) the blimp the military does not want

Freewheel Midtown Bike Center Café and Bike Shower – Minnesota ($560,000) I thought green meant saving money

Just remember, your taxes when to this crap
 
The world would be a better place if Stevens resigned.

On one note, I'm honestly glad they saved Tiger Stadium...

On another, this is what gets these Senators re-elected. Pork barrel spending, as it is called, is really just people asking their congressmen for things and their congressmen doing what the people ask. While I give you that some of these are absolutely rediculous (like $13 million for an Iraqi Art Museum), it means that the senators keep their jobs and the people in the states get lots of fancy new things.
 
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I agree. Ultimately, we need ways to limit this type of wasteful spending. Too many times contractors go over time and over buget. Allow 20% max, then cut the funding completely.
Pork will always be around as long as we have the current appropriations system. Maybe we should use a proportional system. Evey state gets X dollars per person. Let the states decide how to use it.
 
Or at the very least institute severe penalties for overruns so it costs them money instead of us for a change.
 
DTop said:
Or at the very least institute severe penalties for overruns so it costs them money instead of us for a change.
Click to expand...

I like the idea in theory, however what I think what would happen is that contractors would simply cut corners to stay within their budget.

It was recently discovered after a series of metallurgic test that one of reasons why the TITANIC sank was because the contractor used a cheaper varient of both rivets and steel that were not the correct quality and strength as ordered by the shipbuilder.

Do we want bridges and roads made of confetti and paperclips?
 
I've said this before and I'll say it again, and it applies to every country that has national and state/provincial level double parliaments/legislatures (bi-cameral systems).

You save billions if your state or nation has only one legislature. Imagine the savings in not having so many politicians, support-staff, consultants, hearings, sub-committees, hearing bills already heard by elected officials in the other chamber, postage, campaign expenses, etc, etc, etc.
 
waste is waste it matters not if it is in Iraq or in the US. A million here, a few billion in Iraq, the people running the government don't give a :cens:

Here is an interesting fact. The government only conducts an audit when there is a congressional request. That means someone in congress has to put in a request. Think of all the shady things that can go on when there was $3.7 trillion spent last year. If I were emperor of the United States, I would have an accounting firm of 1000 people who toiled through the budget looking for waste and exposing it to the public.
 
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