The federal government makes billions of dollars in payments each year to individuals, businesses and organizations. But as we all know, not all of those payments are legitimate. Fraud, waste, and old-fashioned incompetence mean that huge sums are paid out in error. How much? According to the Manhattan Institute, enough to put a nice dent in the yearly deficit:
House Republicans
have unveiled their proposed budget, and it includes a number of spending reductions and reforms that are long overdue.
As the Trump administration grapples with what sort of tax cut program it intends to push through Congress, others are looking at the spending habits of official Washington, and where cuts should be made.
One of official Washington's worst habits is trying (once again) to make a comback:
One of Donald Trump's first acts as president was signing an executive order instituting a hiring freeze in the federal workforce.
Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake has released his collection of wasteful government spending programs, and it makes for infuriating reading:
In the spirit of the season, the Foundation to Restore Accountability, a project of former Sen. Tom Coburn, has a list of 12 naughty ways in which the federal government has wasted your tax dollars.
Just how fiscally sound is your state? The Mercatus Center has released its 2016 review of all 50 states, plus Puerto Rico, and the verdict is...mixed.
