A Tribute to Senator E. William Proxmire

In the 1970's, Wisconsin Senator E. William Proxmire launched the "Golden Fleece Award," which highlighted some of the most outrageous examples of wasteful spending by the Federal Government. His efforts provided an immense service to taxpayers simply by identifying government waste, fraud, and abuse. Because imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, House Budget Committee Republicans have launched "The Budget Boondoggle Award" in honor of the late Senator Proxmire.

Launching of the Boondoggle Award: Click Here

Throughout the coming year, the Members will continue to expose the worst examples of waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayers' dollars. If you have any examples of government waste, please email us your suggestions...

Fighting Fire with... Festivals?

September 22, 2009

With the unemployment rate swelling to 9.7 percent last month, Americans can be forgiven if they are unsure what job creation has come from the $787-billion deficit-financed “stimulus” bill. Likewise about their confusion over what the money is being spent for. Washington DC was the recent recipient of $2.8 million in stimulus funds from the United States Forest Service, ostensibly for “wildland fire mitigation.” The District, however, contains no national forests and has not had a wildland-scale fire since 1814, when British forces burned down U.S. government buildings, including the White House and the U.S. Capitol. So what exactly is the fire-fighting money for?

As it turns out, most of it – $2.7 million – will go to Washington Parks and People, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing and restoring public parks. Among its accomplishments, Washington Parks and People has:

• Sponsored the Marvin Gaye Festival, which includes live musical performances.

• Sponsored the Season in Seven Celebration and Tree Lighting
  


• Chaired the International Urban Parks Alliance Forum, the premier forum for parks advocates.
  

Interestingly, it appears the good people at Washington Parks and People were as surprised as anyone to be getting the grant. “[W]e do not know anything beyond the information we saw on the Web site,” they reported.

With an explosion of spending and debt in Washington DC, and wildfires still smoldering on the West coast, it may not have been the best use of taxpayer dollars, but it is a perfect candidate for the latest Budget Boondoggle Award.

For more information, please visit:
http://republicans.resourcescommittee.house.gov/Blog/?postid=144409

Full Boondoggle Award Summary

Cash for Clinkers

September 8, 2009

Despite the heated rhetoric about the job-creating magic of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, it is clear the “stimulus” bill has failed to meet its promised goal of holding unemployment to 8 percent. Nevertheless, the bill continues to surpass predictions of
wasteful government spending. The latest beneficiaries are two forgotten segments of the population: convicted felons and the dearly departed. While taxpayers will get stuck with the bill, both these groups will share in the largesse from $787 billion worth of deficit
spending.

• The Social Security Administration [SSA] mistakenly sent nearly $1 million worth of checks to nearly 4,000 inmates nationwide. In Massachusetts alone, “stimulus” funds went
  to a prisoner convicted of first-degree murder, three prisoners convicted of second-degree murder, and five rapists.

• But it doesn’t stop there. It appears some fugitive felons, persons living overseas, and
  individuals who were kicked out of the country may also have received “stimulus”
  checks from the government.
  


• For a different group, the “stimulus” can be considered heaven-sent. The SSA sent
  checks to almost 10,000 deceased individuals at a cost of millions of dollars. Among the
  recipients were a man who moved to Italy in 1933 and was not a part of the Social
  Security system, and an individual who died more than 40 years ago.
  

With Federal agencies directed to spend billions in “stimulus” money as fast as they can, it is not
surprising they cannot perform even rudimentary oversight of its programs. With a
$1.6 trillion deficit and unemployment at 9.7 percent and climbing, it is a close call; but
providing “stimulus” checks to convicted felons edged out the competition, becoming the latest
winner of the Budget Boondoggle Award.

Full Boondoggle Award Summary

The Show Must Go on?

July 30 , 2009

With unemployment at 9.5 percent and expected to continue rising through the end of the year, it
may be understandable that individuals are looking for light-hearted entertainment. It is unclear,
however, why the Federal Government – facing a $1.8-trillion deficit this year – considers it
prudent to spend taxpayer dollars on puppets, clowns, and balancing acts as part of an economic
“stimulus” package.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 includes $50
million for the National Endowment of the Arts [NEA]. The NEA will
distribute more than $29 million to 630 nonprofit arts groups across the
country. Included in the NEA projects are the following:

• A sum of $25,000 for the Spiral Q Puppet Theater. The theater
  is described as a “living museum for hundreds of giant puppets
  and parade items.”



• Another $25,000 for the Pig Iron Theatre Company. The selfproclaimed
  “dance-clown-theatre ensemble” aims to “create
  original performance works which test and break boundaries of
  dance, drama, clown, puppetry, music and text.”
  


• An additional $25,000 for Jess Curtis/Gravity, Inc. This group, founded as a “research
  and development vehicle for very live performance,” currently features performances
  ranging from the “most basic” (rolling balls on stage) to the “most spectacular” (a
  world-renowned exotic broom balancing act in which performers . . . well, just leave it at
  that).
  

While the arts are an important and valuable part of American culture, it is clearly wasteful for a
Federal Government burdened by record debt to spend money on puppets, clowns, or balancing
acts. But it is the funding of these projects in an emergency economic “stimulus” bill that gets
them the latest Budget Boondoggle Award. Vice President Joe Biden was recently quoted saying
“we know some of this money will be wasted.” Truer words have never been spoken.
The rest of the projects can be found at:

http://www.nea.gov/recovery/nea-recovery-act-grants.html

Full Boondoggle Award Summary

Costly Counting: The 2010 Census

May 12 , 2009

Here is how events unfolded:

• After the 2000 census, top Census Bureau officials sought to replace the paper-and-pencil method of data collection with automated hand-held computers. But instead of buying off-the-shelf technology and coordinating with those who would actually use it, the agency paid a vendor more than $600 million to “custom-build” 500,000 hand-held devices for its temporary field enumerators.



• The hand-held instruments had to do just two things: 1) enable enumerators to input information from households who did not return their census questionnaires; and
  2) update the location of every household in the country. They succeeded in neither. Census Bureau officials failed to articulate or oversee technical requirements, resulting in a poorly designed and inferior technology. In dress rehearsals, it became clear the devices were too complex for workers to use, incapable of transmitting the amounts of data necessary, and full of “bugs.”
  


• How to solve the problem? Spend more money, of course. By April 2008, the Secretary of the Department of Commerce, home of the Census Bureau, admitted to Congress that the program had “experienced significant schedule, performance, and cost issues,” forcing census officials to scrap plans for the computer devices and spend an additional $3 billion to revert to a traditional paper-based system.
  


• This $3.6-billion mistake has pushed the overall price tag for the 2010 census from roughly $11 billion to an unprecedented $14.5 billion – more than double the $6.5 billion spent on the 2000 census. Yet despite the additional spending, the Government Accountability Office and other nonpartisan watchdog groups deem the forthcoming census “at risk,” leaving many worried about its accuracy.
  

After repeating the same constitutionally required task every decade since 1790, the Federal Government should by now have a handle on how to take a census, from which congressional districts are established, and billions of dollars in State, local, and research funds are allocated. But by trying to “modernize” procedures, the Census Bureau has actually regressed. The results raise doubts about the government’s ability to run, say, auto companies, financial institutions, or U.S. health care

Full Boondoggle Award Summary

Multi-Millionaire Farmers Reap What the Taxpayer Sows

December 11, 2008

More than 2,700 farmers with incomes exceeding $2.5 million a year have received farm subsidy payments from the Federal Government, according to a recent report by the Government Accountability Office [GAO]. It is another example of wasteful government spending – a kind of reverse-Robin-Hood transfer payment – earning the latest Budget Boondoggle Award.

Among the highlights of the GAO report:

• In 2006, the U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA] handed over $49 million taxpayer dollars to 2,702 farmers with adjusted gross incomes of more than $2.5 million.



• The USDA actually identified 87 of these individuals as ineligible for payments – but paid them anyway!



• Nine of the subsidy recipients did not even reside in the U.S. Payments were mailed to addresses in Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong, among other locations.



• One founder and former executive of an insurance company received more than $300,000 in payments over a 4-year period. An executive with a technology company received nearly $1 million in payments over the same time.



• An individual with an ownership interest in a professional sports team received more than $200,000 in payments over a 4-year period.

• Seventy-eight percent of the ineligible recipients lived in or near metropolitan areas – hardly the rugged agrarians of farm program mythology – continuing the USDA’s trend of paying urban farmers instead of those who actually toil on the soil.

Thus, while “wealthy” people earning $250,000 a year may worry about a forthcoming tax hike, they can make up for it by taking up farming. That way they can legally collect taxpayer-funded subsidies while earning up to $2.5 million a year – and even more if the USDA fails to fix this persistent boondoggle.

Full Boondoggle Award Summary

Throwing Good Money After Chads

November 20, 2008

Having spent billions of Federal dollars to “modernize” elections, State and local officials are finding much of that spending is actually creating the very problems it was intended to solve. Mechanical troubles, fraud, and voter confusion again this year plagued the taxpayer-funded electronic voting machines installed to replace the traditional manual systems. Now many States are planning to scrap the new equipment – which the Federal Government strongly encouraged them to buy – wasting those billions of taxpayers’ dollars. Here’s how it happened:

• In 2002, Congress passed the Help America Vote Act [HAVA], intended to address the serious problems that occurred at polling places during the 2000 Presidential election.



• Congress provided States with $3.2 billion to implement the act. Of that amount, $325 million was explicitly earmarked to States to replace punch cards and lever voting machines with new electronic equipment, but much of the other money was also used for this purpose. Estimates indicate that approximately $1.3 billion in Federal funding has been used to purchase new voting machines and improve voting systems.



• Many States have found the money Congress rushed out the door was spent on machines that could be susceptible to fraud and are extremely expensive to maintain. In addition, many election participants had trouble learning how to use the new “voter-friendly” machines. Hence, some States are abandoning the new systems and going back to the paper ballots that made the phrase “hanging chad” a household term.



• For example, after spending at least $26 million in Federal money to convert to an electronic voting system – with a likelihood of spending millions more – the State of Maryland plans to scrap its new machines and replace them with paper ballots in 2010.



• In addition, at least parts of California, Florida, Kentucky, New Mexico, and Virginia, among others, have already discarded their electronic systems or are considering similar initiatives.

This sad tale serves as a stark reminder of what can happen when the Federal Government throws money at a problem and imposes a “one-size-fits-all solution” on the States without fully considering the implications of its plan. If a democratic government can’t figure out how to run an election, one of its basic functions, how can it be expected to address many of the much more complicated issues facing the country? This colossal waste of Federal dollars to “Help America Vote” has earned the latest Budget Boondoggle Award.

Full Boondoggle Award Summary

Subsidies for Manhattan 'Farmers'

April 2 , 2008

The lastest winner of the Budget Boondoggle Award is U.S. farm policy - for handing out subsidies to hundreds of wealthy New York residents.

In 2005 - the most recent year for which complete data is available - more than 300 well-heeled "farmers" on the distinctly rural island of Manhattan received subsidies from the Department of Agriculture, which notes this largesse on its website. Among the recipients were: at least two billionaires; a former CEO of Seagrams; and numberous Wall Street power brokers.

Other Examples: a member of the prestigious Rockefeller family has received $228,000 in subsidies in the past 5 years; and a New York venture capitalist received nearly $75,000 in 2005.

Subsidies included counter-cyclical payments, conservation payments, loan deficiency payments, and direct payments - which are principally intended to help farmers who need help. But because the payments are poorly targeted, they also find their way to the wealthy urban dwellers - earning this Budget Boondoggle Award.

With an embarrassingly long list of qualified Boondoggle candidates, it was impossible to settle on a single "winner." Instead, a tie was awarded, along with an honorable mention.

Full Boondoggle Award Summary

Announcing the 2007 Budget Boondoggle Award 'Winners'

January 31 , 2008

Despite claims to the contrary, earmarks continued to proliferate last year, with more than 11,000 littered throughout the federal spending bills - many of which were snuck in at the last minute, dodging any kind of congressional scrutiny. These include earmarks for ferryboats, bike trails, sidewalks, museum exhibits, and countless other projects the federal government has no business funding.

With an embarrassingly long list of qualified Boondoggle candidates, it was impossible to settle on a single "winner." Instead, a tie was awarded, along with an honorable mention.

Full Boondoggle Award Summary

Winner #1: The "Ferry to Nowhere"

Winner #2: The NDIC 'Jobs Program'

Honorable Mention: The Bloated Omnibus  

Update on efforts to fight waste at the CDC

November 6 , 2007

Although the Conference Report on the Labor-HHS-Education/Military Construction Appropriation bill spends $13.8 billion more than requested by the President, it includes commonsense language to help cut down on waste at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The provisions, which are based on an amendment passed by Ranking Member Ryan during House consideration of the Labor - HHS Education bill, would prevent the CDC from wasting money on mood lights, zero-gravity chairs or saunas for its employees instead of fulfilling its core mission to fight cancer and other life-threatening diseases. In addition, these provisions would discontinue the CDC's underused and overpriced Ombudsman program. These abuses were some of many highlighted by Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma earlier this year, and were also included in an amendment that Senator Coburn passed during Senate consideration of this bill. Unfortunately, the bill did not include a third provision included in the House bill that would have eliminated the CDC's $17 million Hollywood Liaison program.

For more information on Rep. Ryan's efforts to fight waste at the CDC, click here:

Ryan CDC Amendment Summary 

Launching the Boondoggle Award

October 16, 2007

It is already two weeks into the new fiscal year and the Democratic Majority has failed to send the President even ONE regular appropriations bill. We are headed for a fiscal train wreck. The Democratic Majority claims that they cannot do with a penny less than the $21 billion dollars in additional spending that they are asking for over the increases proposed by the President. In fact, Speaker Pelosi has claimed that the Democrats' have already made a concerted effort to eliminate wasteful spending - before resorting to raising taxes. We think there is a little left to do.

Today the House Budget Committee Republicans have initiated an effort to highlight some of the worst examples of waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government with the creation of the "Budget Boondoggle Award." The first round of nominees includes an example of wasteful spending in each of the appropriation bills. This includes examples of duplicative and ineffective programs, examples of a lack of oversight, and examples of egregious earmarks. By pointing out all of this waste, we are not implying the Republicans were completely innocent of this type of behavior when we were in the Majority. Far too often, we failed to do enough to cut down on wasteful spending. But the time for excuses is over. Both Democrats and Republicans should engage in a concerted effort to fight waste, fraud, and abuse. Instead of claiming that it is impossible to get by with one dollar less than the full increase in spending the Majority is demanding, it would be much more constructive for the parties to work together to make sure that the people's money in not being squandered, but is instead being spent on our nations highest priorities.

Document: - The Budget Boondoggle Award

Graphs and Charts : - The Budget Boondoggle Award Document

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