Federal dollars continue to flow to legacy programs because of bureaucratic inertia, and the absence of any regular, ongoing assessment of actual need. Funding federal investments based on merit is a critical component of any deficit-reduction plan and could save taxpayers billions. Congress and federal agencies have a responsibility to taxpayers to invest federal resources in the most effective and efficient way possible.
Explore the Prioritize Investments Program-
Prioritize Investments
Flood Insurance Fiasco
The National Flood Insurance Program is insolvent, and by delaying reform, losses will only increase...

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Policy Brief | Prioritize Investments
California HSR: Taxpayers Still on the Hook
The $3.6 billion stake provided by the Federal Railroad Administration could translate to years of obligation...

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Stop Waste
Bridge to Nowhere
Rep Don Young (R-AK) was awarded the Golden Fleece Award by Taxpayers for Common Sense for trying to sell America's taxpayers a $315 million "bridge to nowhere" in rural Alaska...

Federal spending decisions should be based on project merit, rather than on who wields the most political muscle or influence. But federal dollars are going to “sweetheart projects” of influential lawmakers, instead of repairing or replacing the bridges or weapons systems most in need of attention. ...More
Press Release: Report Shows Motorcoaches Should be Part of Transportation Mix
July 30, 2013
A new study by M.J. Bradley and Associates prepared for the American Bus Association Foundation, Taxpayers for Common Sense, and the Reason Foundation reveals lower consumer and taxpayer costs and reduced emissions associated with motorcoach travel as compared with Amtrak’s rail system. ...
A Lesson in What Saving Money Means to Congress: Essential Air Service
July 11, 2013
Essential Air Service (EAS) reforms passed as part of last year’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) authorization bill were intended to...
Joint Letter to Congress: Support for Amendment to Cut Wasteful R,D&D
July 09, 2013
Taxpayers for Common Sense joined several groups today in urging Congress to eliminate wasteful subsidies for the United States Enrichment Corporation....
A Cigar for SIGAR – Documenting Hundreds of Millions of Dollars of Waste in Afghanistan
June 28, 2013
The title says it all: “[Department of Defense] Moving Forward with $771.8 Million Purchase of Aircraft that the Afghans Cannot Operate and...
Golden Fleece Award to Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority for a Decade of Waste Cheerleading a Bridge in Alaska
June 26, 2013
A press release from TCS on the Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority being awarded the most recent "Golden Fleece."...
Small Taxpayer Victory: Outdated Airport Subsidy Reduced
June 19, 2013
In a small victory for taxpayers, the Department of Transportation (DOT) last week issued an order terminating Essential Air Service (EAS)...
Supporting Passenger Mobility and Choice by Breaking Modal Stovepipes: Comparing Amtrak and Motorcoach Service
July 30, 2013
This analysis compares customer costs (fare, travel time) and societal costs (government subsidies, air emissions) associated with twenty specific trips that can currently be taken between select U.S. city pairs on both an Amtrak train and on a scheduled intercity motorcoach bus....
Golden Fleece: KABATA - Taxpayer Funded Cheerleaders for Alaska’s Knik Arm Bridge
June 26, 2013
Summary
Over the last decade, the Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority (KABATA) spent millions of federal taxpayer dollars on a project that...
Achieving Measurable Outcomes in Agricultural Conservation Programs
June 14, 2013
All federal agricultural programs – including conservation programs - should prove that they are achieving measurable outcomes that provide...
Bringing Sequester in for a Landing: Congress on Verge of Avoiding FAA Furloughs with Budget Gimmicks
April 25, 2013
Update (9:03 pm): The Senate has gone with option 1 (see below), allowing for the transfer of $250 million from the Airport Improvement...
Letter to the Editor: Congess Adds to the Pentagon’s Budget Bloat
September 03, 2013 | The Washington Post
Walter Pincus hit the nail on the head with his Aug. 27 Fine Print column, “The defense appropriations shuffle.” There are still billions of...
SAVANNAH PORT: Slowdown Dims Aura of Gaeorgia’s Ports
August 26, 2013 | Atlanta Journal-Constitution
BRUNSWICK --- More than 635,000 Kias, Toyotas and Caterpillar tractors moved in and out of this brawny port last year. Wood pellets from...
Why Do We Subsidize Inter-City Rail When Buses Can Do the Job?
July 31, 2013 | Bacon's Rebellion
Liberals love buses — at least when the buses are run by municipally owned enterprises with union workforces and operate at a loss that...
Landrieu inserts controversial flood insurance provision into spending bill
July 16, 2013 | The Hill
A major battle is unfolding in Congress over the troubled National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
The fight pits homeowners in...
House could vote on Piketon project money as soon as tonight
July 09, 2013 | The Columbus Dispatch
The U.S. House could vote as soon as later tonight on an amendment that would strip USEC of federal dollars.
An amendment by Rep. Michael...
