Weekly Wastebasket

Our weekly reality-check for federal spending.

Death Star Defense

May 03, 2012 | Budget & Tax , National Security

Hey, budget-watchers bored by the slow pace of Congress in this electoral year, guess what: Star Wars is back, and it’s playing at a... Read More

Lead by Example

April 26, 2012 | Budget & Tax

People in glass houses should not throw stones. Especially when those houses are in Congress. For weeks now the public has been exposed... Read More

Fleecing by Waterway

With our nation suffering from a $15 trillion debt hangover, taxpayers are demanding Washington sober up when managing our tax dollars.... Read More

Breaking the (Tax) Code

April 12, 2012 | Budget & Tax

If you're scrambling to finish your taxes this weekend, we wanted to remind you of a few breaks you might have missed. Unfortunately,... Read More

Recycling Bad Ideas

The House of Representatives’ transportation authorization bill is mired in legislative purgatory without the votes to pass. House... Read More

Don’t Fear the REAPer

March 29, 2012 | Agriculture , Budget & Tax

It’s time to put misguided federal handouts to agriculture out to pasture. As Congress and the President sit on the fence, billions in... Read More

Tempest in a Teapot

March 22, 2012 | Budget & Tax

Every year there is a kabuki dance on Capitol Hill that churns out partisan claims and counter-claims that one party or the other is... Read More

The Ostrich Approach to Budgeting

March 15, 2012 | Budget & Tax , National Security

With hearings on the FY 2013 budget in full swing on Capitol Hill, one question keeps popping up: “How are you planning for... Read More

Nuke No-Go for Taxpayers

March 08, 2012 | Energy

As the anniversary of the tsunami and the ensuing Fukushima disaster approaches, many will reflect on the use of nuclear power to safely... Read More

De-duping the Government II

March 02, 2012 | Budget & Tax , National Security

More often than not, the sequel to a hit doesn’t measure up to the original. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is trying to buck... Read More

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