Since 2004, Citizens Against Government Waste has been attending the European Resource Bank (ERB) Meeting. This year’s annual meeting of free-market think tanks was held in Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia, hosted by the New Economic School in the Republic of Georgia. Even though the ERB was originally planned to be held in Georgia because of the free-market reforms pushed by the country’s prime minister and president, Mikheil Saakashvili, events preceding the meeting (the Russian invasion) gave it even more urgency.
2008 Prime Cuts is a Guide to Cut Spending
With the election on November 4th looming, both Presidential candidates have pledged to go through the budget line by line to find wasteful spending. Whoever wins could save a lot of time by reading Citizens Against Government Waste’s 2008 Prime Cuts, a list of 700 recommendations that would save $27 billion on one year and $1.2 trillion over five years. The new President will inherit a $455 billion deficit from fiscal year 2008 and be staring at a possible $1 trillion deficit for fiscal year 2009. There’s no room for new programs and plenty of incentive to cut those that are ineffective, duplicative, or wasteful.
FCC Takes First Steps in Enforcing Net Neutrality
The government is one step closer to regulating the Internet as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) attempts to sanction Comcast for its management of Internet traffic. The FCC claims that its authority to act is covered under broadband network principles that were adopted in September 2005. The principles were intended to increase competition among network providers, and allow consumer access to “the lawful Internet content of their choice … run applications and use services of their choice … and connect to their choice of legal devices that do not harm the network.” This was supposed to address network neutrality.
Department of Defense Delays Air Force Tanker Contract Decision…Again
The Department of Defense (DoD) has once again flip-flopped with regard to the awarding of a $40 billion Air Force aerial refueling tanker contract.
Caution: Porkers at Work
While summer has almost come to an end, the only appropriations bill that has come to a full vote in either chamber of Congress this year is the Military Construction-VA spending bill (H.R. 6599). The action taken on this bill, however, offers a preview of what taxpayers can expect with the eleven remaining spending bills.
Staying Healthy by Eliminating Waste
When President Bush announced the beginning of the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) during his 2003 State of the Union speech, the five-year, $15 billion measure was announced as “the largest commitment ever by any nation for an international health initiative dedicated to a single disease.” Targeting 15 “focus countries,” most of which are in sub-Saharan Africa, the plan embraced a three-pronged strategy based around prevention, treatment and care.
Sen. Stevens Indicted
On July 29, 2008, it was announced that Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) had been indicted by the Justice Department on seven counts of making false statements for failing to disclose $250,000 worth of gifts from a contractor.
Appropriations Gone Awry
Traditionally, summer is appropriations season on Capitol Hill. The core twelve spending bills – Agriculture; Commerce/Justice/Science; Defense; Energy & Water; Financial Services; Homeland Security; Interior & Environment; Labor/HHS/Education; Legislative Branch; Military Construction/Veterans Affairs; State/Foreign Operations; and Transportation/Housing & Urban Development – usually have worked their way through the legislative process, and have been signed by […]
Deadly Earmarks
Earmarks can be deadly, according to Air Force Reserve Maj. Eric Egland. Egland, a counter-terrorism operative, military intelligence officer and Iraq War veteran, wrote an opinion piece in The Washington Times on July 2 asserting that national security earmarks are being abused, with disastrous consequences.
Earmark Disclosure: Slow but Steady
“Will you disclose the earmarks that you have requested, Representative?”