William Gladstone, Prime Minister of Great Britain in the 19th Century, once said: Show me the manner in which a nation cares for its dead, and I will measure exactly the sympathies of its people, their respect for the laws of the land, and their loyalty to high ideals. As hundreds of World War II […]
We Aren’t Greece…Yet
There was a great article by Holman Jenkins in the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday entitled: “Behind the Noise, Entitlement Reform.” My summary of his piece is: Perhaps if some Greek politicians had put their foot down 10 years ago to halt their country’s overspending and demanded reform of its nanny state, maybe their country […]
CAGW Releases October WasteWatcher
For Immediate Release Contact: Leslie K. Paige 202-467-5334 October 3, 2013 Alexandra Booze 202-467-5318 Sequestration is Better than Sliced Bread By Tom Schatz WasteWatcher, October 2013 It is time for official Washington to admit that sequestration is the best thing that has happened for taxpayers since Gramm-Rudman in the mid-1980s. Domestic discretionary spending is being reduced […]
An Early Christmas in Washington
Fiscal year (FY) 2013 just ended and federal agencies enjoyed a shopping spree.
This spending binge occurred because at the end of every fiscal year agencies are incentivized to spend the remaining money in their budgets in order to justify a similar or increased budget for the following year. This phenomenon, known as “spend it or lose it,” leads not only to wasteful spending, but to poor investments and awful management at the federal level.
Nancy’s Cupboard May be Bare, But There are Certainly Bats in Her Belfry
On Sunday, September 25, when asked by host Candy Crowley about why President Obama and House and Senate Democrats are so utterly opposed to negotiating over the debt ceiling by exploring additional deficit reduction and spending cuts (as almost every previous president has), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) declared on CNN’s Sunday show State of the Union that “the cupboard is bare…there’s no more cuts to make.”
Obamacare Opening Day – Can You Say Fiasco?
I tried to get information on Obamacare yesterday by logging onto www.healthcare.gov. The only thing I accomplished was being transferred to my state exchange. The state website is still experiencing difficulties today so I haven’t been able to find out if the current plan I have (which I pay for out-of-pocket) is more expensive than what […]
Another Bailout
While the focus of the press and Washington has been on passing a continuing resolution and a government shutdown, the White House pulled the usual Washington D.C. public affairs stunt when you don’t wont bad or controversial news to be discussed broadly. It releases the news on a Friday afternoon. According to several news reports, last […]
Debate and Compromise Is Not a One-Way Street
A few months back my 20-something niece was complaining about how Congress, in particular the Republican House, was just not cooperating with President Obama over spending, taxes, and government-investments like bridges and green energy. She said the current system was broken and that we needed something new so things could be done quickly. I said, […]
Nancy’s Cupboard May be Bare but There are Certainly Bats in Her Belfry
On Sunday, when asked about deficit reduction, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) declared on CNN’s Sunday show State of the Union that “the cupboard is bare…there’s no more cuts to make.” This shocking quote reminded me of Tom Delay (R-TX), former House Majority Leader, who said in 2005 that there is “no fat” left […]
Disability Insurance – Reform is Needed
A recent General Accountability Office (GAO) report, “Disability Insurance – Work Activity Indicates Certain Social Security Disability Payments Were Potentially Improper” reminds us that Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is the nation’s largest cash assistance program. In light of that, it is no surprise then that the congressional watchdog agency estimates that the Social Security […]