As you dream of heading to the beach this Memorial Day, imagine this: on the way, stop at the bank, take out all your money, and then dump it into the ocean. Sound crazy? Well, that’s exactly what the Army Corps of Engineers does with millions of hard-earned tax dollars every year under the federal beach replenishment program.

In New Jersey, the Corps has already spent almost $100 million to dredge sand from the ocean floor and dump it onto 33 miles of coastline. Unfortunately, the “restored” beaches quickly erode and taxpayers’ money is washed out to sea year after year. Experts agree that no beach replenishment program has lasted more than five years without costly rebuilding efforts – in New Jersey, significant erosion occurs within three years. In one case, more than half of a 350-foot wide beach completed last November has all but washed away.

Beach lovers might argue that the replenishment program is necessary so that Americans can continue to spend summer vacations at the beach. But who really benefits from beach restoration? In New Jersey, “public” beaches are guarded by locked doors, steel gates and “No Trespassing” signs, with beach-front homeowners holding the keys. Why should federal taxpayers pay to protect beach-front property that they can’t use?

Efforts by the Clinton Administration to phase out the program have been met with fierce resistance by New Jersey and Florida lawmakers who are unwilling to give up millions in federal dollars. The Administration argues that popular coastal areas can and should support local replenishment programs through tourism-based taxes.

Beach replenishment is one of 47 federal programs targeted by the Green Scissors ’96 report. Written by a coalition of taxpayer and environmental groups, the report targets $39 billion worth of programs that both harm the environment and cheat the American taxpayer.

For more information, contact Steve Ellis (202) 546-8500 x 126 or by email

Ailing B-2 gets Hawaiian vacation

Despite a recent Air Force order grounding the B-2 bomber fleet due to the discovery of a mechanical flaw, the newest of the $2.2 billion planes will enjoy an all-expenses-paid trip to Hawaii this Memorial Day for an official christening ceremony. Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI)(who, by the way, has received almost $50,000 in PAC contributions from B-2 contractors over the last five years) will preside over the ceremony. The bomber will be dubbed “The Spirit of Hawaii.”