Oklahoma U.S. senator's report cites federally funded study on why politicians are vague.

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Sen. Tom Coburn's report lists wasteful government spending

Oklahoma U.S. senator's report cites federally funded study on why politicians are vague.

BY CHRIS CASTEEL [e-mail]

Published: December 21, 2010

 

WASHINGTON — Sen. Tom Coburn on Monday released his list of the federal government's most wasteful spending of the year, such as a $217,000 study on why political candidates are vague.

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Sen. Tom Coburn's report lists wasteful government spending

Coburn, R-Muskogee, whose office regularly churns out reports mocking federal projects and programs, said Monday that “cutting wasteful and low-priority spending from the budget is not only sensible, but essential.”

 

“In today's economy, we can't afford to spend nearly $2 million to showcase neon signs no longer in use at Las Vegas casinos; nor can Congress and federal agencies afford to spend nearly $1 billion a year on unnecessary printing costs.”

 

The 100 projects cited on Monday tread some familiar ground for Coburn reports — road signs paid for with stimulus funds, research projects that sound like folly — and are mostly domestic. There is no mention of Iraq or Afghanistan, despite government reports documenting millions lost to fraud and waste.

 

Topping Coburn's list is the conclusion of a FOX News story that the Department of Veterans Affairs spends $175 million each year to maintain buildings it can't use, in some cases because they're in such disrepair.

 

Other items on the list:

• $217,000 for a University of California and Stanford University study on when and why political candidates are ambiguous.

• $90,000 to fund promotion of the Vidalia onion, including $60,000 for a campaign timed to coincide with the release of a Shrek movie.

•  $2.5 million on the Census Bureau's television ad that aired during the Super Bowl to promote the head-count but left many viewers scratching their heads in confusion.

• $465,000 for an international AIDS conference in Austria.

• $35 million paid in fraudulent Medicare and Medicaid claims to an alleged Armenian crime ring.

• $48 million for a streetcar system in Atlanta that runs the same route as the city's subway system.

• $900,000 to settle sexual harassment claims against a former housing director in Philadelphia.

•  And $28 million to print “rarely used” paper copies of the Congressional Record.

Read more: http://newsok.com/sen.-tom-coburns-report-lists-wasteful-government-spending/article/3525422#ixzz18p8jOBmj

[Darrell Russell]

This is all about budget. Once you receive X amount of dollars then you expect to keep having those dollars,

Have you really Ever wondered about the ridiculous spending at the end of a physical year. If there is a surplus then they spend money on any and all things to get to a zero balance. Thus their budget will not be effected if any thing they will ask for an increase. 

[mimi]

I do NOT see the Pigford Farm scandal. NO repubs will touch this for fear of being called a racist. Biggovernment.com is going after the scandal--ck it out...

Some of the "farmers had no more than a "potted plant"... "HARVEST of LIES"

[Christine Ulferts]

So corruption reigns, what else is new.  Lets talk about Colburn forgetting his promise to see that the so called food safety bill was never voted in!  This was the promise he made to the American people but alas, how soon one forgets, a matter of a few weeks fo him!  The bill was attached to the  bill to finance the govt. until next march and Colburn never attempted to block it, get it removed or even spoke against it.  He just voted yea to the bill and now we have higher food prices coming and the regulation of over the counter vitamins and hundreds of other drugs.  They can now regulate livestock feeding, how much they graze, when they can graze, and for how long they can graze.  They can now stop you from growing your own personal garden on your own property for your own consumption and the list goes on.  Thanks a whole bunch Colburn!!  By the way, are you up for re-election in 2012?

[Billy Bowlegs]

Pass a law that clearly states that if someone (Congressman, Government Employee, idiot) funds for a study like that reported above, then the cost comes out of that approving person's salary.

 

Would not take long to stop this type of waste.

 

[phrowt]

More evidence that the $1,160+ billion we spend on the Congress is going for naught. We are NOT getting our money's worth.

[Don Nelson]

 

Politicians are vague because they are spineless!

[Billy Bowlegs]

Don;

 

You reminded me of a 30 year old joke.

 

Three doctors talking and the question becomes, "What is your favorite type patient to operate on?"

Doctor #1:  That would be an Accountant;  you see, you open him up, threre is a chart of accounts inside the chest and you can see the exact layout of where everything is.

Doctor #2:  That would be a Computer Programmer; you see, inside his chest is a flow diagram that leads to every functining organ and you cannot screw up if you follow the schematic.

Doctor #3:  Humm; that would be a Politician, (the other two, wh.ay is that?); "Because they are heartless and spineless and on top of that if you cannot screw up becuse their head and ass are interchangable."

[James R. Cannon]

Stupid people do stupid things like proposing stupid pork barrel projects.

Virginia continued to sterilize stupid people into the early 70's. Perhaps if we reinstated that program on the Democrats we could get back to a nation formed by our forefathers.....More immediate solutions would be to get those idiots out of Congress and the White House ASAP.

 

[william e grant]

I don't want to just vote these people out i would like to see the whole dam thing dismantled.

[Shane S.]

I do not agree with all that Sen. Coburn does but I do appreciate his tenacity on spending. He slows down ever bill he can and asks the questions. He might not always win the fight, but he is at least fighting.