Government Waste
St. Louis Schools Lost $260 Million to Economic Development Subsidies
According to a report from Good Jobs First, St. Louis' public schools took the brunt of the loss at nearly 65 percent of the total.
Homeless Encampments Cost These Cities Tens of Thousands of Dollars Per Tent
L.A., Portland, and other cities are spending millions to house homeless people in outdoor "safe sleeping" sites.
The Feds Shouldn't Subsidize Fancy, Risky Beach Houses
Government is "promoting bad behavior," says Sen. Rand Paul. He's right.
State Governments Promised Private Companies More than $10 Billion in Subsidies Last Year
The statistic, compiled by watchdog group Good Jobs First, only takes into account "megadeals" involving at least $50 million in subsidies.
Biden Administration Quietly Extended the Unnecessary COVID Bailout for States and Local Governments
Republican senators say the change is "mind-bending and deeply concerning."
Watchdog Report: USPS Still Failing To Secure Facility That Was Robbed Twice in 2023
A new inspector general report indicates that officials knew that the industrial park had been targeted in the past.
Philadelphia Relies on Private Sector Chargers To Charge City-Owned E.V.s
Motorists complain about long lines at charging stations as civil servants queue up in city-owned electric vehicles.
G.M. To Lay Off 1,300 Michigan Workers Despite $824 Million in State Incentives
The bulk of the employees may be able to find work elsewhere within the company, but the state could still be on the hook for the promised cash.
Georgia Taxpayers Lose $160,000 for Every Job Created by Film Tax Credits
The program generates just 19 cents for every dollar spent.
Thomas Massie: Why Not Vote 'No'?
Congressman Thomas Massie discusses his "no" votes on foreign aid, COVID-19 relief, and labeling anti-Zionism antisemitism on episode two of Just Asking Questions.
America Is Taking a High-Speed Train to Bankruptcy
Every dollar wasted on political pork, fraud, and poorly considered infrastructure makes the country’s fiscal situation even worse.
Taxpayer-Subsidized Seminars Train Cops To Violate the Constitution
A report from New Jersey's comptroller criticizes Street Cop Training for encouraging illegal traffic stops.
Pentagon Fails Sixth Audit in a Row
Though federal law has required annual financial reports, the Department of Defense simply did not complete them until 2018. It has since failed each year.
Full Extent of COVID Fraud Will 'Never Be Known With Certainty'
A new GAO report details federal prosecutors' attempts to put the horse back in the barn.
The FBI Needs Downsizing, Not $3.5 Billion for a New Headquarters
Lawmakers from Maryland and Virginia fought over which state should house the new site rather than whether the bureau even needs so many agents.
Cities Are Spending Absurd Sums on Modular Bathrooms
Philadelphia has budgeted nearly $2 million for the project.
Federal Agencies Maintain Offices That Sit Mostly Empty
A new Government Accountability Office report notes that of 24 federal agencies, none of their headquarters are more than half-staffed on an average day.
The COVID Bailout of State and Local Governments Was Unnecessary
Well over half of those funds remain unspent, according to a new Government Accountability Office report.
The Federal Government Spent $3.3 Billion on Office Furniture as Employees Worked From Home
The Department of Defense spent $1.2 billion on furniture between 2020 and 2022, although it only uses 23 percent of its office space.
Kansas City Made a Barbie-Themed Streetcar. It Cost Taxpayers $25,000.
Officials say that the "Dream Streetcar" is intended to boost ridership, even though the streetcar is free.
Taxpayers Will Pay at Least $600 Million for Tampa Bay's New Baseball Stadium
But will it solve the team's attendance woes? Probably not.
The U.S. Credit Rating Just Dropped. It's Time for Radical Budget Reform.
The lack of oversight and the general absence of a long-term vision is creating inefficiency, waste, and red ink as far as the eye can see.
Yellow Corporation To Close, Lay Off 30,000 Employees, and Likely Default on $700 Million Pandemic Aid Loan
The company blames much of its problems on the Teamsters trucking union's "intransigence," while the Teamsters say Yellow is delinquent on benefit payments.
Americans Love NASA, But Private Firms Do the Real Work in Space
People see a continuing role for the space agency, but mostly in national defense.
Tesla Solar Factory Not Living Up to New York's $1 Billion Investment
In exchange for $1 billion, the state expected 5,000 jobs and 1,000 installations a week. Instead, it reported 1,700 jobs, most of them Tesla data analysts, and 21 installations per week.
Do D.C. and Rhode Island Really Need $200 Million for Broadband Access?
How not to distribute federal funds
Trucking Company, Careening Toward Bankruptcy, Could Default on $700 Million Federal Bailout Loan
After losing more than $100 million in a single year, Yellow Corporation got a $700 million pandemic assistance loan from the government. It has only paid $230 on the principal.
Ohio E.V. Manufacturer Fails Despite Millions in Taxpayer Subsidies
Lordstown Motors received $24.5 million to operate an Ohio factory. G.M., the factory's previous owner, received $60 million before shuttering it.
Biden's $42 Billion Broadband Boondoggle
More than 90 percent of Americans already have access to high-speed internet.
Price Tag of NASA's Martian Rock Retrieval Mission Is Skyrocketing
The Mars Sample Retrieval program is now estimated to cost double than what was originally projected.
Atlanta Plans To Blow $230 Million on 2-Mile Extension of Useless Streetcar
That's more than $21,000 per foot. And the tab doesn't include operating costs, which taxpayers will also heavily subsidize.
Over $400 Billion in COVID Aid Was Stolen or Wasted
A new Associated Press analysis of government data suggests 10 percent of all COVID aid was lost to fraud or theft. That figure will likely grow.
Movie Industry Says Georgia's Film Tax Credits Are Great. State Auditors Say They're a Waste of Money.
Contradicting a new report funded by entertainment industry advocates, state auditors have cast significant doubts on the tax credit program's actual effectiveness.
For $6.5 Million, Durham Report Finds FBI Didn't Have Solid Dirt on Trump and Russia
Plus: Reexamining the roots of qualified immunity, who's really hurt by business regulations, and more...
Ridiculous Spending on Museums May Be Here To Stay
Handouts for tourist-trap museums will be part of the federal funding battleground in the next two years.
Want Less Corruption? Try Having Smaller Government.
People can never be made incorruptible. We can, however, design governmental systems filled with checks and balances that limit the temptations.
Government Watchdog Finds $60 Billion in Pandemic Unemployment Fraud, Suggests Maybe Doing Something About It
Despite multiple warnings in the past, the Department of Labor has yet to implement a comprehensive strategy for detecting unemployment insurance fraud.
Pentagon Can't Account for $220 Billion of Gear Given to Contractors
The actual total is probably higher according to the Government Accountability Office's new report.
Will We Get Private Flying Cars Before the Pentagon Manages To Get This New Jet Off the Ground?
A Swedish company will soon be delivering electric single-person aircraft that can take off and land vertically, which the F-35B struggles with despite billions in funding.
Government Spending Billions To Expand Broadband but Can't Tell Who Needs It
The Federal Communications Commission uses broadband coverage maps that are so severely flawed, states started shelling out to make their own.
Congress Has a New Scapegoat for COVID Fraud: Banking Apps
Fintech platforms facilitated fraud in the Paycheck Protection Program, according to a new congressional report.
San Francisco Wants To Spend $1.7 Million on a Single Public Toilet
Local officials argue that the eye-popping sum is necessary due to rising construction costs, but experts disagree.
