Wasteful Government Spending is Robbing Taxpayers
Over the last eight years, our media has provided example after example of wasteful government spending. Of course, each example was blamed on Republicans. This year, few news reports are even mentioning wasteful government spending, even though the government has passed massive spending bills. Fiscal Year 2009's spending report highlights multiple examples of wasteful government spending.
Hawaii and Guam are spending millions on controlling brown snakes. In Fiscal Year 2009, Representatives Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Representative Madeline Bordallo (D-Guam) requested $1.2 million. Representatives Hirono and Borallo requested the money to control brown snakes. Even more astonishing, similar requests were made each of the last 14 years. A total of $14.6 million has been used to control brown snakes.
The next Bill that smells like bacon, is one that House Appropriator Carolyn Kilpatrick ( D-Mich ), requested $50,000 for. This money is being used for tree replacement in River Rouge, MI. According to a census completed in 2000, this town had a population of less then 10,000 people. Could this money not have had a better use? How many trees do you get for $50,000? Does a town of less then 10,000 people really need this many trees. Why not start a community outreach program to keep kids off the streets and off of drugs. Education, in my opinion, is more important then a few thousand trees.
Military spending receives a large amount of attention. Usually, the attention is on spending for the Iraq war. This story is not about war spending but about spending on an access road. Representative Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) joined Senators Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) and Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) in requesting $30 million. The $30 million will be spent on Phase Five of an access road at Pohakuloa Training Area. Phases One through Four have already cost $74.4 million. Now that is wasteful government spending.
Veterans benefits and military spending have received a large amount of attention. Our military veterans deserve the best benefits money can buy. This spending story has nothing to do with veterans benefits. It is about a request for money to build a dining hall. Representative Louise Slaughter joined then Senator Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) in requesting $9 million to build a dining hall at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station.
And last but not least, lets end this with an extremely wasteful way to spend money. We can thank the Department of Agriculture and Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee member Tom Harkin (D-Iowa). He requested $1,791,000 for Swine Odor and Manure Management Research in Ames IA. The so called purpose of this bill is to generate and integrate knowledge for evaluation and development of new management practices that minimize nutrient excretion, malodorous emissions, and the release of pathogens into the environment as well as have a positive impact on animal health.
Swine are not the only things that give off stinky manure. Just go into the bathroom after Larry the Cable Guy. Yet, we do not study ways to make human feces smell better. It does not make much since to study why swine manure has an odor. It is not a new problem. Is this really the most important problem and the best use for $1,791,000.
Military branches are always researching new weapon systems. It is necessary to keep America the superpower that we are and protect our citizens. It is not surprising the Department of Defense is developing a new jet plane. The Joint Strike Fighter has been in development for several years. Congress decided that the current engine needed competition to make it cheaper. They alotted $465,000,000 to develop a second engine. There was nothing wrong with the current engine being tested. Congress just wanted more competition.
All together 535 Officials have refused to be associated with the uncontrollable spending, and bogus ear marks. 100 Senators and 435 Representatives. Why run and hide, if nothing wrong is being done. These elected officials know what is going on is shady, to say the least. They didn't get elected into office to blow the taxpayers money on these fraudulent and lucrative ideals. I insist that you do your job as an American and as a tax payer. Call your local elected officials and let them know that this kind of behavior and this sort of erratic ear marking, is not what they were elected for. Stand up and take control of the situation.