Header Image (book)

aowheader.3.2.gif

Monday, January 14, 2019

Congressional Funding


A sampler from Grabien News (dated January 9, 2019):
Things Democrats Have Funded that Cost More than the Border Wall: Lawmakers have put less thought into other, more expensive projects over the years

After President Trump requested $5.7 billion to fund the border wall he campaigned on in 2016, Democrats have dug in, refusing to appropriate the funds that the administration says are needed to better manage the flow of immigration across the southern border.

Democrats are not traditionally known for their fiscal rectitude but are particularly parsimonious over what ultimately amounts to a very small percentage of the federal budget. (In 2018, the feds spent $4.173 trillion overall, meaning the border wall would amount to just 1/10th of 1 percent of current annual federal spending.)

Indeed, these lawmakers have happily funded various projects over the years that cost far more than the border wall — and many of which had very questionable value. Below are some examples of wasteful federal spending projects that individually cost more than the proposed border wall (data courtesy of Citizens Against Government Waste):

“Rural Utility Service.” This program costs taxpayers $8.2 billion/year and has no actual purpose after its original intent — bringing electricity to rural communities — was long ago achieved. It’s now being used to bring broadband access to small communities (usually with populations of less than 20,000). However there’s no indication the “beneficiaries” of this expensive government agency actually appreciate the program, and the majority of its projects are not completed on time or within budget.

Sugar Subsidies. America, as Democrats frequently intone, faces a health crisis. What they don’t tell us is that it’s largely of their own making, as Congress subsidizes the production of unhealthy foods like sugar and high-fructose corn syrup. Eliminating sugar subsidies alone would save $6 billion, enough to fund the border wall; it would also have the added benefit of helping curb the nation’s obesity epidemic.

Community Development Grants. These grants were created in the 70s to revitalize failing American cities. The program has almost always been plagued with dysfunction, with grants going to wealthy communities and other recipients failing to produce “accountability and results.” Citizens Against Government Waste reports that even President Obama called for reining in the program. It’s elimination would save $15 billion over 5 years.

The United Nations. As the United Nation’s largest contributor, the U.S. in 2016 donated $10 billion to the U.N. As CAGW notes, reducing these contributions just 25 percent would create a savings of $12.5 billion over 10 years. Of the money Congress appropriates for the United Nations, $5 million taxpayer dollars are itemized for abortions in foreign countries.

Unused Real Estate. Congress appropriates money to maintain federal real estate that’s not actually being used. Per CAGW, an October 31, 2017, CRS report found that, “In FY2016, federal agencies owned 3,120 buildings that were vacant (unutilized), and another 7,859 that were partially empty (underutilized).” Current laws require the government to undergo a series of steps before considering a sale of these buildings. Were selling this unused property prioritized, the 5-year savings are estimated at $15 billion. Simply maintaining the unused buildings annually costs $1.7 billion.

Despite many of of the above projects having arguably negative value, Congress continues to fund them. Eliminating any one of the above would create more than enough savings to fund the White House’s border wall appropriation request.

Of course, other smaller federal spending projects are even more wasteful. Examples abound, but here are a few that are at least amusing:

— The feds spend $613,634 to boost “intimacy and trust” of transgender women and their male partners (The Washington Free Beason)

— The feds spent $5 million paying hipsters to stop smoking and then blog about it (as well as use cool anti-smoking swag — like beer koozies). (Readers Digest)

— Northwestern University has received more than $3 million in National Institutes of Health to watch hamster fights. “Some of those experiments involved injecting hamsters with steroids, then putting another hamster in the cage to see if the drugged rodents were more aggressive when protecting their territory. This program has since been halted following protests from animal rights activists,” Readers Digest reports.

— The feds spend $1,009,762 training “social justice” math teachers (The Washington Free Beacon)

— “The government spent at least $518,000 in federal grants to study how cocaine affects the sexual behavior of Japanese quails,” Readers Digest reports.

— The Federal Register is legally required to be printed daily and distributed to Congressional offices despite most never being read and all of the information being available online. Stopping this unnecessary printing would save $1 million a year.
Go HERE to enable embedded links underlined in the above.

Click directly on the graphic to enlarge it:

[source]

We are witnessing the rapid decline of our republic. And what was once an incremental decline is now a rapid decline.

25 comments:

  1. Our government is a bloated, wasteful farce. It cannot continue adding $1 trillion to the national debt every year forever.

    I also don't see the political will to stop illegal immigration. Essentially, if you get here, you can stay here, get a job put your kids in school and enjoy all the benefits legal citizens enjoy, and neither party wants to change that.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Those items listed - and much, much more - should be repealed and rescinded. Sadly, even this “crisis”.....invented as a political vaudeville act, won’t illuminate the waste, fraud, abuse....and national debt.....to the masses of alleged fiscal Conservatives in elected capacities.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Search for a DC fiscal conservative = Snipe Hunt

      Delete
    2. +1!

      We sure do have a lot of overpaid, elected whiners trying to claim otherwise.....

      Delete
  3. Pork lard is everyone's favorite dish in DC. Republicans as well as democrats love the pork. Balanced budgets, fiscal responsibility, and reducing the national debt is now officially passe. Having completely flew the coup in 1980. Or thereabouts.

    ReplyDelete
  4. The Italians much preferred fascism under Mussolini to social democracy under Luigi Facta. Now we understand why: it was less painful than having to put up with communists.

    ReplyDelete
  5. There's zero reason that more wall would be in court...we already have a wall in many places.....precedent would prevail.

    However, your second point is spot on......most drugs and illegal aliens come through legal ports of entry. I would rather have seen Trump take a stand over increase vehicle scanners for POE's and filling the existing vacancies in CPB....than this physical monument to himself.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Until Chuck and Nancy decided to throw a toddler fit, funding and building border barriers was an annual routine regardless of which party controlled what.

    Democrats cannot afford to have immigration and border security resolved--those issues are ripe propaganda sources fueling political fundrasing and stoking leftwing rage.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yep, and a mere few months ago, the Democrats agreed to vote to fund upwards of five times what Trump now demands. Somebody else didn’t care to compromise. Toddler fits all around......

    ReplyDelete
  8. President "I Never Worked for Russia" had two years of total control to get this funded.

    He makes a deal of it now because the wolf's at the door.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Whereas the Congress haas been kicking the border security can down the road since Ronald Reagan....

    ReplyDelete
  10. Cuz we ALL remember the LAST amnesty for security Democrat LIES.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Repubelicons like illegal immigration just as much as the Dementocraps.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Agree. It would take more than 20 years of 'conservative' leadership to even put a dent in this FUBAR'd place.

    ReplyDelete
  13. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Trump exposed the Deep State swamp. He didn't fill it.

      Delete
    2. Neither has the p\resident been able ti KILL it, because he's been steadily mocked, vilified, ostracized, falsely accused of wrongdoing, and isolated by all the forces of Heaven and Hell combined, who have forced him to do righteous battle virtually ALONE.

      The sitruation created by the venal Coaltion of Established Powers is not only DISGUSTING, it's potentially TRAGIC.

      Delete
  14. Ghastly, of course, but, apparently, it's comoletely out of OUR hands. Those in power have made it painfully obvious they're not the least bit concerned about what WE want, or how WE feel. As far as TEY are concerned. WE DON'T COUNT.

    We are no longer citizens. We've been gradually transformed –– insidiously –– by stealth –– over several decades of seditious machinations by masters of deceit, sophistry and guile –– from CITIZENS into SUBJECTS.

    This who believe a SECOND AMERICAN REVOLUTION is impossible have surrendered their integrity, personal sovereignty, their individuality, their hopes, dream, and creative powers to those who would be our MASTERS.

    Apparently Masochistic Pusillanimity is now considered an acceptable way of life by those who deem themselves "realists."

    Whatever happened to

    "THE SPIRIT of '76!"

    "GIVE ME LIBERTY or GIVE ME DEATH"

    "LIVE FREE or DIE!"

    and

    "DON'T TREAD on ME!

    ????????????????????????????????????????????

    ReplyDelete

We welcome civil dialogue at Always on Watch. Comments that include any of the following are subject to deletion:
1. Any use of profanity or abusive language
2. Off topic comments and spam
3. Use of personal invective

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

!--BLOCKING--