National Debt Clock

Waste and Abuse



*By answering this survey, you are subscribing to my newsletter.

Contact Us Button

BookMark

  • BookMark


Washington Waste Watch

 

UPDATE - Thursday, October 29 - The Associated Press reports that the number of Stimulus Jobs is overstated by thousands. To read more click HERE.

UPDATE - Monday, October 26 - 60 Mins story on Medicare Fraud can be found HERE.

UPDATE - Tuesday, October 20 - Washington Post reports 30,000 Stimulus Jobs, Many in D.C. Area. To learn more click HERE. 

UPDATE - Monday, October 19 - Federal deficit hits all-time high $1.42 trillion - According to the Associated Press it's more than the total national debt for the first 200 years of the Republic, more than the entire economy of India, almost as much as Canada's,and equals more than $4,700 for every taxpayer in the Western New York.

UPDATE - Wednesday, October 7 - Interesting report. “50 Examples of Government Waste” can be found HERE.

-Washington spends $25 billion annually maintaining unused or vacant federal properties.

UPDATE - Thursday, June 18 - Two new national polls show that a clear majority of the American people want Washington to do more to address budget deficits. We are spending at a rate faster than we -- and more importantly, our children and grandchildren -- can afford.

  • NBC News: "Almost 60 percent say that President Obama and Congress should worry more about keeping the deficit down..."
  • The New York Times: "...Americans are alarmed by the hundreds of billions of dollars that have been doled out to boost the economy. A majority said the government should instead focus on reducing the federal deficit."

 

RED INK AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE:

Washington Post: "In the first independent analysis, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office concluded that President Obama's budget would rack up massive deficits even after the economy recovers, forcing the nation to borrow nearly $9.3 trillion over the next decade."

 


 

 

UPDATE - Thursday, October 29 - The Associated Press reports that Stimulus Jobs are overstated by thousands. To read more click HERE.

 

Making Washington Do More with Less

  • Making Washington Do More with Less

    Blocking Congress's Automatic Pay Raise. To help control Washington’s spending habits and restore some common sense, I helped lead a successful bipartisan effort to stop the automatic pay raise members of Congress were scheduled to receive next year. Washington should set an example during these tough economic times.

    A Fiscally Responsible Economic Recovery Plan.     As part of an economic recovery working group, I helped write a recovery plan that, according to the same analytical methods used by President Obama's top economic advisers, would create twice the jobs at half the cost of the Washington stimulus bill. Learn more about my economic recovery plan by clicking HERE.

    A Balanced Budget.     During my first week in office, I became a co-sponsor of an amendment to the U.S. Constitution requiring a balanced budget.

     

What Washington Waste Looks Like

  • Washington Waste Watch

    July 16: "You Paid For It: Nearly $1 Million In Stimulus Signs"

    In its latest "You Paid For It" segment, WGRZ reports:

    "Many taxpayers are questioning nearly $1 million in federal stimulus funds spent statewide on construction signs. It's now a much smoother ride along Transit Road in Cheektowaga after stimulus dollars paid to pave the way. But not all the federal funds went to the new blacktop. Statewide, nearly $1 million will be spent on signs designed to inform the public of stimulus projects. It's just a waste of money, said taxpayer Brandon Miller."

     

     

    June 15: "Stimulus program fraught with waste, report says"

    The Los Angeles Times reports, "A report due to be released today by a Republican senator contends the Obama administration's stimulus program is fraught with waste and incompetence -- evidenced by a turtle crossing in northern Florida that will cost more than $3 million and a snafu in which thousands of Social Security checks went out to people who had died."

    May 15: "Dead People Get Stimulus Checks"

    Fox 5 News in New York     reports that "this week, thousands of people are getting stimulus checks in the mail. The problem is that a lot of them are dead. A Long Island woman was shocked when she checked the mail and received a letter from the U.S. Treasury -- but it wasn't for her. .. The Social Security Administration, which sent out 52 million checks, says that some of those checks mistakenly went to dead people because the agency had no record of their death. That amounts to between 8,000 and 10,000 checks for millions of dollars."

    April 15: "Housing agencies faulted in audits to get $300M of stimulus"

    USA Today         reported last week that "the federal government will soon send more than $300 million in stimulus funds to 61 housing agencies that have been repeatedly faulted by auditors for mishandling government aid... The government has promised to closely monitor how the agencies spend the money. Still, some watchdog groups are concerned. ‘I think taxpayers are going to have to steel themselves to hear that a lot of this money has gone down the tubes,’ says Leslie Paige of Citizens Against Government Waste.”

    March 23: "Difficulty Contacting Inspectors Lets Waste and Abuse Go Unchecked, Report Says"

    The Washington Post reports on a new study by the independent Project on Government Oversight (POGO) that says" federal inspectors general too often ignore or discount the complaints of whistleblowers, and concerned citizens attempting to report government waste or mismanagement may face difficulty making even basic contact with the offices via telephone or the Internet."

Stimulus Tracking

  • Tracking the Progress of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

    On Tuesday, February 19, the President signed into law H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. There are several ways you can track the progress of this legislation.

    Recovery.gov. An oversight board will routinely update this site to better help you see where and how your tax dollars are spent.

    Economicrecovery.ny.gov    . This site will help you track how Albany spends your tax dollars and provides resources to governments, organizations and other entities wishing to submit proposals for funding.


    IRS    . Learn more about the tax-related provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.