One of the cornerstones of the stimulus bill was to create jobs and help the economy get back on its feet. The Obama administration estimated that between 3 and 4 million jobs would be created or saved once the bill was enacted.
The 72 Hour Bill: A Struggle to Read Over the Shoulder of Congress
This summer’s tea parties and town hall meetings drew hundreds of thousands across the nation. Although there were many issues of concern including healthcare, cap-and-trade, and the general overspending problems in Washington, citizens were united by one common goal: to remind members of Congress that they work for the American people.
If It Ain’t Broke, Why “Neutralize” It?
On September 21, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski proposed new rules for broadband providers. The so-called “net neutrality” policy is anything but neutral; it would allow for government regulation and intervention in the broadband industry and would prevent wireless companies from managing traffic on the Internet.
End Deficit Spending
With a turnout estimated at hundreds of thousands of people, the Taxpayer March in Washington, D.C. on September 12, 2009 demonstrated the public’s support for restraining government spending. In order to understand the motivation of the protesters, one only needs to look at the current fiscal condition of the country.
Debt Watch
Most mundane procedural actions by Congress are not worthy of a headline or even a WasteWatcher article, but the raising of the debt ceiling will surely cause taxpayers to howl.
Update on CAGW’s FOIA Project
On May 12, 2009 Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) undertook an ambitious project to find out if members of Congress were trying to influence how the funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), aka economic stimulus bill, were being spent.
Will Obama’s IGs Be Blood Hounds or Lap Dogs?
Federal statutes currently allow for 69 inspectors general (IG) at all cabinet departments, large agencies and other designated federal entities. These offices are charged with overseeing how tax dollars are spent. Since they are, in effect, “first responders” to potential waste, fraud, and mismanagement within the government, IGs are granted broad powers to ensure a level of independence over those they are auditing or investigating.
PASS ID
In 2005, Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) put on a full court press to stop the implementation of the REAL ID Act. After being attached to a supplemental appropriations bill and being voted on without hearings or any debate, REAL ID was going to be an expensive national ID card that would have put tax dollars and privacy at risk. REAL ID was supposed to be implemented by the end of 2008. Due to states opting out and logistical problems, that deadline has been pushed to the end of 2009, a date that is still impossible to meet.
Stimulating the Dead
When the federal government decided to spend $787 billion to stimulate the economy in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), most Americans understood, contrary to most of the tough talk about accountability and transparency, that a percentage of these funds would be wasted. To try and assuage these fears, Congress and Obama Administration declared that the stimulus money would be focused on “shovel ready” projects.
CAGW’s FOIA Project
On February 17, 2009 President Obama signed an economic “stimulus” bill, formally known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). More than $787 billion is slated to be spent through ARRA to help revive the economy.