United States Senator Tom Coburn United States Senator Tom Coburn
United States Senator Tom Coburn United States Senator Tom Coburn
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Washington Waste of the Week - Home

February 9, 2010

The Pork Report -- how Washington politicians, bureaucrats, and lobbyists are spending your tax dollars


Today’s edition identifies over $66,502,000 in wasteful Washington spending

More than three-quarters of the $2 billion in federal stimulus funds intended to create green-energy jobs in the U.S. has gone to foreign-owned companies click here to read more

Despite millions in federal tax credits, wind-equipment manufacturers cut thousands of jobs in the U.S. last year click here to read more

Las Vegas receives $4.5 million federal grant to build the neon museum click here to read more

Alaska Senators fight to restore funding for earmark that both President Bush and Obama have tried to eliminate click here to read more

New Jersey Senator prodded the Federal Reserve to aid a struggling bank whose chairman and vice chairman were big campaign contributors click here to read more

Media critics agree the U.S. Census Bureau’s $2.5 million Super Bowl ad was one of the worst click here to read more

$501,940 of federal stimulus aid will help finance an animal shelter, which will include pet bathing areas and a kitten nursery click here to read more

Only 11% of Americans think the government spends taxpayers’ money wisely and 83% say the size of the federal budget deficit is due to the unwillingness of politicians to cut government spending click here to read more

75% of voters are angry at the government’s current policies; 59% believe cutting taxes is better than increasing government spending for job-creation, but 72% expect Washington politicians to increase spending instead click here to read more





February 8, 2010

The Pork Report -- how Washington politicians, bureaucrats, and lobbyists are spending your tax dollars


Today’s edition identifies over $92,100,000 in wasteful Washington spending

USDA gives $600,000 in taxpayer assistance to the Adopt-A-Pet organization in Nebraska click here to read more

Louisiana spending $60 million of federal stimulus funds to replace a bridge that was rated as “very good” by the state’s transportation department only three years ago click here to read more

Mississippi school district spending $3 million of federal stimulus funds to construct a football stadium click here to read more

Missouri spending millions of dollars of stimulus funds intended for railroads to convert a 78-year-old bridge, which hasn’t carried a train in decades, into a walking trail click here to read more

In the midst of record winter storm, federally funded weatherization program suspended at a West Virginia anti-poverty organization as state questions group’s records and inventory click here to read more

Federal stimulus money paying for a $25 million “facelift” for Illinois recreation area click here to read more

Congressman earmarks $10.6 million to clients of his former staffer turned lobbyist click here to read more

The Homeland Security Department developing new travel policy because much of the $110 million spent on travel over two year period was plagued by poor internal controls and may have been unjustified and unnecessary click here to read more

New Jersey township spending $2 million in “free money” provided by federal and state grants on “all sorts of goodies” that will “allow the township to do things that it otherwise wouldn’t do” click here to read more





February 5, 2010

The Pork Report -- how Washington politicians, bureaucrats, and lobbyists are spending your tax dollars


Today’s edition identifies over $101,000,000 in wasteful Washington spending

Federal agencies are spending stimulus money at the rate of $196 million an hour and tens of millions of dollars are being wasted on questionable projects click here to read more

Fast food restaurants and a spa received federal stimulus funds in Colorado; Government spokesperson claims business owners receiving the money are feeling “guilty” because of media scrutiny click here to read more

Speaker of the House asked committees to “develop a specific list of initiatives aimed at reducing costs, ending duplication and promoting efficiency in order to cut the costs of government as aggressively as possible” and provide “a list of recommendations to me by June 2, 2009,” but won’t disclose whether or not the committees complied or what their suggestions were click here to read more

Alabama Senator holding all executive nominations as ransom for millions of dollars of earmarks click here to read more

The Census Bureau will spend $2.5 million on advertising during the Super Bowl click here to read more

Federal funds will pay to put on a Lunar New Year “spectacular” in California featuring acrobats on unicycles and a New Age concert click here to read more

Indiana to spend nearly $1 million of federal stimulus funding to renovate a 19th century bridge that hasn’t carried traffic since 1972 click here and here to read more





February 4, 2010

The Pork Report -- how Washington politicians, bureaucrats, and lobbyists are spending your tax dollars


Today’s edition identifies more than $1,000,000 in wasteful Washington spending

Senators call for budget cuts, but oppose trimming any spending in their own states click here to read more

President proposes eliminating the cap on how much bureaucrats could pay to purchase luxury cars click here to read more

As congressional earmarks gain more scrutiny, lobbyists increasingly shaking down bureaucrats for federal funds click here to read more

U.S. could lose its AAA credit rating unless the federal government quickly curbs trillion dollar budget deficits click here to read more

Illinois school district seeking $800,000 federal grant to pay for iPod Touch digital music and video players for students click here to read more

Virginia will spend federal transportation dollars to restore an 84 year old service station that hasn’t sold gas since 1955 click here to read more

Rhode Island clock tower to be restored with $350,000 federal grant click here to read more





February 3, 2010

The Pork Report -- how Washington politicians, bureaucrats, and lobbyists are spending your tax dollars


Today’s edition identifies at least $13,000,000 in wasteful Washington spending

President Obama says “You don’t blow a bunch of cash on Vegas when you’re trying to save for college. You prioritize. You make tough choices. It’s time your government did the same…” click here to read more

…As the Department of Veterans Affairs signs a contract with Harrah’s in Las Vegas for an upcoming conference click here to read more

California paid nearly $11.5 million for in-home care to providers and recipients who were deceased, according to state records click here to read more

Oregon spending half-a-million dollars in federal stimulus funds on a county fair’s livestock building; The fairground project is receiving the second-largest stimulus grant for energy conservation awarded in Oregon to date click here to read more

Florida town received twice the amount of federal funds it needed to replace some aging water pipes; The grant was a surprise to town officials, who were previously declined funds for the same project because the pipes didn’t pose a significant health hazard click here to read more

A year into a federal program to buy, rehab and sell abandoned properties in hard-hit neighborhoods, most of the $40 million given to the San Francisco Bay Area remains unspent; Contra Costa County, which received $6 million, has only turned around just one house click here to read more

Louisiana officials want to spend left over federal funds intended for Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts on local economic-development and transportation projects; “There’s no reason we shouldn’t at least ask.” click here to read more

With Lynchburg City Schools facing a potential $8 million reduction in funding and the likelihood of across-the-board cuts, school officials are spending federal stimulus funds to purchase more than 800 iPods for students click here to read more





February 2, 2010

The Pork Report -- how Washington politicians, bureaucrats, and lobbyists are spending your tax dollars


Today’s edition identifies millions of dollars in wasteful Washington spending

Six more weeks of winter for Californians seeking federal weatherization assistance! $275 million in stimulus money the state received to weatherize houses against the winter cold remains largely unused click here to read more

Tennessee spends federal stimulus dollars to give a Memphis Laundromat a makeover, pay a Memphis blues radio show producer, hire a contractor to wax a monument, study green tea, and research the sexual behavior of rodents deprived of food click here to read more

Obama proposes a record budget paid for with a record deficit; One-third of $3.8 billion spent by the government next year would be borrowed click here to read more

President’s budget forecasts 2.15 million bureaucrats on the federal payroll next year click here to read more

Despite declining tax revenues, federal stimulus dollars enabled state and local governments to maintain spending and avoid making budget cuts in 2009 click here to read more

Dozens of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission employees caught surfing for porn at work on government computers click here to read more

Las Vegas junkets offer bureaucrats “much more than neon lights” and “those whose agencies take a more liberal stance will find ample diversion in this complex and ever-evolving city-in-the-desert” click here to read more

Medicaid spent $3.5 million on improper payment for ineligible recipients in Pennsylvania click here to read more

Delaware has spent only $103,000 of the $28 million in federal stimulus money the state received for energy conservation projects click here to read more





February 1, 2010

The Pork Report -- how Washington politicians, bureaucrats, and lobbyists are spending your tax dollars


Today’s edition identifies at least $303,700,000 in wasteful Washington spending

Senators vote against eliminating government waste and duplication, including reducing Congress’ budget for itself, while proclaiming “the United States is prepared to stand up and deal with this debt threat” click here to read more

Taxpayers billed $1,000 per week for booze and other “in-flight services” for the Speaker of the House that “read like a dream order for a wild frat party” click here to read more

Hundreds of convicted criminals may have been hired by the U.S. Census Bureau click here to read more

California wine trail will be getting signs, a new map and an iPhone application thanks to a $98,500 federal stimulus grant given to the Monterey County Growers and Vintners Association click here to read more

Federal stimulus funds supporting Napa Valley Wine Train, despite local opposition click here to read more

The federal government “likely overspent by millions” when it negotiated a no bid contract for the $54 million Wine Train stimulus project click here to read more

The pork bell curve: Boston College has more than doubled what it spends on lobbying and, according to the college’s spokesman, “our earmarks have increased since we started paying [the lobbyists] more.” click here to read more

The Wine Institute receives $7 million grant to promote wine in foreign countries; Raisin Administrative Committee receives $3 million and the California Walnut Commission pulls in $4.5 million click here to read more

Bad publicity leads martini & wine bar to withdraws from contract for $25,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant Recovery stimulus funding click here to read more

A year after the city claimed it needed a billion dollars from the federal government for subway safety upgrades, the District of Columbia spends federal stimulus funds intended for transportation projects to replace garage escalators click here to read more





January 28, 2010

The Pork Report -- how Washington politicians, bureaucrats, and lobbyists are spending your tax dollars


Today’s edition identifies at least $69,000,000 in wasteful Washington spending

The Senate votes to increase the government’s debt limit to $14.3 trillion click here to read more

Audit finds Alaska violated state and federal laws and regulations to build a $28 million road to nowhere to the planned site of the bridge to nowhere to ensure the bridge would have to be constructed click here to read more

Social Security Administration enlists Chubby Checker to promote new “twist” in Medicare drug benefits click here to read more

Congress may be spending more to clean coins thrown in Capitol fountains than the coins’ are even worth click here to read more

Audit faults Oregon school district with out-of-control spending on travel, catering by employees, no bid contracts awarded on the basis of personal connections, and poor accounting of education funds intended to be spent on children click here to read more

Northwest Wine Promotion Coalition receives $876,000 in federal funds; Washington Apple Commission picks $1.1 million and Pear Bureau plucks $872,000 click here to read more

Federal funds pay for a video game bowling tournament in Tennessee click here to read more

Kentucky awarded $24 million in federal stimulus funds to contractor charged with bribing state employees for government contracts click here to read more





January 27, 2010

The Pork Report -- how Washington politicians, bureaucrats, and lobbyists are spending your tax dollars


Today’s edition identifies millions of dollars in wasteful Washington spending

Literally throwing your money down a hole! Federal grant helps pay for a museum for the world’s largest hand-dug well click here to read more

Despite a national debt exceeding $12 trillion, House appropriations committee soliciting requests for congressional pork projects click here to read more

The cost of federal stimulus plan has increased another $75 billion and will now cost taxpayers $862 billion click here to read more

New Hampshire school spends federal stimulus funds to buy iPods for sixth-graders click here to read more

That other $680 million bridge to nowhere in Alaska is still a state priority click here to read more

National Science Foundation studies how wearing shoes affects how we run click here to read more

$15.5 million of federal stimulus funds to pay to store imported apple juice click here to read more





January 26, 2010

The Pork Report -- how Washington politicians, bureaucrats, and lobbyists are spending your tax dollars


Today’s edition identifies millions of dollars in wasteful Washington spending

Federal budget deficit will reach $1.35 trillion in 2010, and Congress is already planning to borrow billions more to pay for a new jobs bill and another war funding bill click here to read more

Most TSA employees to receive performance-based pay hikes click here to read more

Taxpayers spent more than $1.1 million to send members of Congress and their staff on junkets to the Copenhagen Climate Summit in Denmark click here to read more

More than half of the companies that have received federal stimulus dollars to do highway work in Massachusetts have a history of breaking the law click here to read more

Monterey wine association receives $98,5000 federal stimulus grant click here to read more

$2 million of federal stimulus money paying to teach Ohio residents how to cut, color and style hair click here to read more

Atlantic City spends federal stimulus money to pay for more than $276,000 worth of playground equipment click here to read more

Nearly three out of four Americans think that at least half of the money spent in the federal stimulus plan has been wasted, according to a new CNN poll click here to read more

Texas spends federal transportation funds on “spectacular” rest areas that include “state-of-the-art” vending machines and even a Battleship Texas restoration project click here to read more

Louisiana spent millions of dollars of federal funds intended for health care for low income and uninsured patients to pay for the state’s hazardous road claims click here to read more






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$12,293,497,393,100.00