Do you still think we cannot cut the spending? Look at these and see if you think they are necessary?

The federal government made at least $98 billion in improper payments in 2009.

Washington spends $92 billion on corporate welfare (excluding TARP) versus $71 billion on homeland security.

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

Government auditors spent the past five years examining all federal programs and found that 22 percent of them—costing taxpayers a total of $123 billion annually—fail to show any positive impact on the populations they serve.

The Congressional Budget Office published a “Budget Options” series identifying more than $100 billion in potential spending cuts.

Because of overstaffing, the U.S. Postal Service selects 1,125 employees per day to sit in empty rooms. They are not allowed to work, read, play cards, watch television, or do anything. This costs $50 million annually.

Washington will spend $2.6 million training Chinese prostitutes to drink more responsibly on the job.

Stimulus dollars have been spent on mascot costumes, electric golf carts, and a university study examining how much alcohol college freshmen women require before agreeing to casual sex.

Examples from multiple Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports of wasteful duplication include 342 economic development programs; 130 programs serving the disabled; 130 programs serving at-risk youth; 90 early childhood development programs; 75 programs funding international education, cultural, and training exchange activities; and 72 safe water programs.

A GAO audit classified nearly half of all purchases on government credit cards as improper, fraudulent, or embezzled. Examples include gambling, mortgage payments, liquor, lingerie, iPods, Xboxes, jewelry, Internet dating services, and Hawaiian vacations. In one extraordinary example, the Postal Service spent $13,500 on one dinner at a Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, including “over 200 appetizers and over $3,000 of alcohol, including more than 40 bottles of wine costing more than $50 each and brand-name liquor such as Courvoisier, Belvedere and Johnny Walker Gold.” The 81 guests consumed an average of $167 worth of food and drink apiece.

Improper or fraudulent Medicare spending now totals $47 billion annually—12.4 percent of its budget.

New York distributed $140 million in stimulus money into the individual accounts of families on welfare, yet neglected to mention it was intended for school supplies. Local ATMs were depleted, and much of the money was reportedly spent on “flat screen TV’s, iPods and video gaming systems” as well as “cigarettes and beer.”

Washington will spend $615,175 on an archive honoring the Grateful Dead.

Federal employees owe more than $3 billion in income taxes they failed to pay in 2008.

Each month, taxpayers provide $40,000 worth of office space, cell phones, staff, and an SUV for former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, who currently works as a lobbyist for private corporations and foreign governments.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her staff have charged taxpayers $101,000 for “in-flight services”—including food and liquor—during trips on Air Force jets over the last two years. Charges reportedly include “Maker’s Mark whiskey, Courvoisier cognac, Johnny Walker Red scotch, Grey Goose vodka, E%26amp;J brandy, Bailey’s Irish Crème, Bacardi Light rum, Jim Beam whiskey, Beefeater gin, Dewars scotch, Bombay Sapphire gin, Jack Daniels whiskey, and Corona beer.”

The Legal Services Corporation, which is supposed to provide legal services to the poor, has repeatedly ignored warnings to stop spending its money on alcohol. It also funds limousines, first-class airfare, and “death by Chocolate” pastries for its executives.

The Department of Energy spent nine years and $153 million on an obsolete cyber-security project that was supposed to safeguard America’s nuclear weapons information.

The stimulus set aside $350 million for a national broadband coverage map—even though one private firm stated it could create one for $3.5 million.

Fannie Mae—now backed up by taxpayers—paid $6.3 million in legal defense costs for ousted executives such as Franklin Raines. An additional $16.8 million was spent defending Fannie Mae’s regulators in litigation against the former executives.

The Census Bureau spent $2.5 million on Super Bowl ads, and on-air mentions by sportscasters.

New documents reveal that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) lost 1,000 computers in 2008. Not to be outdone, Homeland Security officers lost nearly 200 guns in places like restaurant restrooms, convenience stores, and bowling alleys. Several of the guns ended up in the hands of criminals.

The State Department will spend $450,000 on art shows in Venice, Italy.

During a recent three-day conference, NASA spent $62,611 on “light refreshments” for its 317 attendees—$66 per day per person.

http://www.heritage.org/research/reports…Do you still think we cannot cut the spending? Look at these and see if you think they are necessary?
You got it.

Get rid of Bloated Government. Let about half of all bureaurats get real jobs and contribute to the tax pool rather than be a Government parasite sucking up tax dollars.

Cut all that otherwise listed crap (above) and quit paying people to Not Work.

Maybe we can at least balance the budget.Do you still think we cannot cut the spending? Look at these and see if you think they are necessary?
you left out the part where the fed sends out trillions to off shore banks that we're on the hook for. want it to stop? vote Ron Paul or just forget it.
There are entire Federal agencies and Departments which need to be terminated -- along with the wasteful programs that they "administer".Do you still think we cannot cut the spending? Look at these and see if you think they are necessary?
debt = profits for the banks



US Presidents have bank CEO as advisers = Goldman Sachs



US in debt = profit for the banks



amen
I am sure you will join me in voting For Ron Paul.Do you still think we cannot cut the spending? Look at these and see if you think they are necessary?
I think you are merely scratching the surface of federal waste and yes we need to cut it now