Posted on February 29, 2008 by Alexa Moutevelis
According to the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, the entire Alaska delegation will now be posting their earmark requests online.
Murkowski, Young join Stevens in posting earmarks
Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Rep. Don Young said Thursday they would join Sen. Ted Stevens in posting appropriation requests on their official Web sites.
“I am joining Sen. Stevens and Congressman Young in [...]
Filed under: Appropriations, Earmarks, In The News, Media Hits, Pork, Porker, Reform | No Comments »
Posted on February 28, 2008 by Alexa Moutevelis
Last night, CAGW mascot Porky attempted to deliver Rep. Murtha his award for 2007 Porker of the Year at Murtha’s defense lobbyist gala at the Ritz-Carlton. Surprisingly, Porky was escorted out of the building before he could present the award. We had hoped to post footage of the events today, but due to multiple techinical [...]
Filed under: Pork, Porker | 2 Comments »
Posted on February 28, 2008 by Alexa Moutevelis
Mention of the Murtha defense lobbyist dinner protest last night as well as Murtha’s Porker of the Year award on FOX News’ Brit Hume Political Grapevine. Watch here (about 45 sec. in).
Playing Defense
Three taxpayer advocacy groups plan to protest outside Congressman John Murtha’s annual fundraising event tonight for defense industry lobbyists who have benefited — or [...]
Filed under: Defense, Earmarks, In The News, Media Hits, Pork, Porker, Video | No Comments »
Posted on February 27, 2008 by Alexa Moutevelis
2007 Porker of the Year Rep. John Murtha is holding at major campaign fundraiser tonight at the Ritz-Carlton at Pentagon City (Arlington, VA).
Roll Call originally wrote about this story Feb. 11, saying:
Those hoping to get an earmark from the defense-spending poobah will note that’s about two weeks before appropriators hand in their own project requests.
…
But [...]
Filed under: Pork | 2 Comments »
Posted on February 27, 2008 by Alexa Moutevelis
From the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner:
Ted Stevens to reveal requests for earmarks
Stevens plans to post all of the earmark requests he’s received from state and municipal governments and private organizations for fiscal year 2009, Saunders said. The deadline for submitting earmark requests was Feb. 15.
CAGW responds in a press release to this news here
Filed under: Earmarks, Pork, Reform, State Issues | 1 Comment »
Posted on February 26, 2008 by Libby Wright
I love it when politicians stick their noses in things and make policy on stuff they know nothing about.
For years, Congress has been pushing corn ethanol and taxpayers have paid big subsidies for this alternative form of energy.
Well, now we are starting to see the consequences of politicians interfering with something they know little about.
More and [...]
Filed under: Energy | No Comments »
Posted on February 26, 2008 by Alexa Moutevelis
February 2008
Europe Assaults U.S. Businesses
By Tom Schatz, President, Citizens Against Government Waste and Matthew Elliott, Chief Executive, British TaxPayers’ Alliance
Unfortunately for taxpayers and investors, European regulators are abusing their power in a manner that will adversely impact the ability of the world to avoid the worst results of the current slowdown.
Murtha Named Porker of the [...]
Filed under: Pork, Waste, Wastewatcher | 1 Comment »
Posted on February 26, 2008 by Alexa Moutevelis
Tom Schatz discussed 2007 Porker of the Year John Murtha this morning on CNBC’s Pork Watch. See Tom every Tuesday morning at 6:50am eastern - check your local listings.
Contrary to the statement from Rep. Murtha’s office, the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee which he chairs, did not reduce earmarks by 50% from 2007. 2008 Defense total is 2,109 [...]
Filed under: Defense, Earmarks, In The News, Media Hits, Pork, Porker, Video | No Comments »
Posted on February 25, 2008 by Martin Rundle
The state of the States is not healthy. After several years of prosperity, state governments are again facing budget shortfalls. The Associated Press reports that state budget deficits could reach as much as a combined $14 billion this year and $34 billion in 2009.
Filed under: Pork | No Comments »
Posted on February 22, 2008 by Alexa Moutevelis
Watch last night’s edition of the Political Grapevine on FOX News’ Special Report with Brit Hume
Other People’s Money
The nonpartisan group Citizens Against Government Waste has named Pennsylvania Democratic Congressman John Murtha its “Porker of the Year” for 1987. Murtha received 63 percent of the vote in the group’s online poll.
Murtha was cited for what the [...]
Filed under: Earmarks, In The News, Media Hits, Pork, Porker, Video | No Comments »
Posted on February 22, 2008 by Martin Rundle
Meet Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ), Congress’s latest poster child for Lord Acton’s maxim that “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Justice Department officials unsealed a 26-page federal indictment today accusing Rep. Renzi and a business partner of embezzlement and using his position as a member of the House Natural Resources Committee to broker land deals that [...]
Filed under: In The News | No Comments »
Posted on February 21, 2008 by Martin Rundle
We all know government accounting is suspect at best. And we certainly don’t expect every Kwik-E-Mart in the tribal regions of Pakistan to be providing a receipt with purchase…but when the U.S. military is handing out approximately $1 billion a year under the Coalition Support Funds program to support our Pakistani allies along the Afghan border at least a little [...]
Filed under: Defense, International | No Comments »
Posted on February 21, 2008 by Leslie Paige
Copley News Service reporter/blogger Finlay Lewis picked up on our announcement of Rep. John Murtha (D-Penn.) winning Porker of the Year and ran a nice item on his blog for the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Filed under: Pork | No Comments »
Posted on February 21, 2008 by Leslie Paige
Today, AP’s Marcy Gordon confirms a suspicion we had about a provision in the so-called economic stimulus package recently signed by the President. That bill ill-advisedly opened the door to allow housing giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to purchase jumbo loans, something they have been prohibited from doing by law for years. As we suspected, this move will not do [...]
Filed under: Pork | No Comments »
Posted on February 20, 2008 by Martin Rundle
Postal Service boondoggles are the stuff of legend. I’m sure many of you remember the U.S.P.S.’s $25 million sponsorship of Lance Armstrong’s Tour de France cycling team. And how can we forget the $122 million spent to sponsor the Albertville, France and Barcelona, Spain Olympic Games?
Now, according to the Washington Post, the Postal Service is [...]
Filed under: Pork | 3 Comments »
Posted on February 20, 2008 by Alexa Moutevelis
… is Rep. John “Jack” Murtha (D-Pa.)!
Congratulations to him and all our other nominees.
Thank you for voting!
Filed under: Appropriations, Earmarks, Pork, Porker, Waste | 1 Comment »
Posted on February 19, 2008 by Alexa Moutevelis
CAGW is quoted in a Weekly Standard article on “Republicans’ love-hate relationship with earmarks”:
Hey, Big Spenders
Appropriations seats are always sought-after, but this time as many as seven Republicans clamored for the prize. Contenders included vulnerable members like Washington’s Dave Reichert; Tom Cole, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, who wanted to use the [...]
Filed under: Appropriations, Earmarks, Media Hits, Pork | No Comments »
Posted on February 19, 2008 by Alexa Moutevelis
ABC15 in Phoenix had an explosive story on Friday night detailing how millions of Homeland Security dollars have been wasted while the security of hundreds of federal buildings has not been assessed. What has been assessed? Sen. Diane Feinstein’s $14 million home.
Watch the video here
ABC15 Uncovers Serious Gaps in Homeland Security
Potential targets include the Federal Court [...]
Filed under: Homeland Security, In The News, Media Hits, Video, Waste | 1 Comment »
Posted on February 15, 2008 by Alexa Moutevelis
Read about the candidates here.
Vote for your Porker here.
Filed under: Porker | No Comments »
Posted on February 15, 2008 by Alexa Moutevelis
CAGW is saddened that Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) was not appointed to the Appropriations Committee where he would have been an excellent defender of the people’s money and could have nipped wasteful earmarks in the bud. Now he goes back to challenging earmarks on the House floor where it is more difficult to remove them.
We [...]
Filed under: Appropriations, Earmarks, Media Hits, Reform | No Comments »
Posted on February 15, 2008 by Alexa Moutevelis
The Lexington Herald-Leader has a good article (below) on House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security ranking member Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) sending Homeland Security earmarks to a non-profit he created.
In May 2006, CAGW put out a press release criticising another Homeland Security earmark that went to a company that had given $17,000 to Rep. Rogers.
Our [...]
Filed under: Earmarks, Media Hits, Pork | No Comments »
Posted on February 14, 2008 by Alexa Moutevelis
USA Today article on the cost of benefits to senior citizens
Senior benefit costs up 24%
The cost of government benefits for seniors soared to a record $27,289 per senior in 2007, according to a USA TODAY analysis.
That’s a 24% increase above the inflation rate since 2000. Medical costs are the biggest reason. Last year, for [...]
Filed under: Entitlements, In The News, Social Security | 1 Comment »
Posted on February 14, 2008 by Alexa Moutevelis
Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), one of two February Porkers of the Month, tries to make amends for his wasteful ways by eschewing earmarks.
Nunes vows to shun earmarks
…Putting no money where his mouth is, Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Visalia, told visiting Tulare County officials on Thursday that he would only request federal funding for projects Congress has authorized.
Unauthorized [...]
Filed under: Earmarks, Pork, Reform | No Comments »
Posted on February 13, 2008 by Alexa Moutevelis
Great news from The Hill newspaper: Rep. Henry Waxman has joined a growing group of legislators that have pledged to abstain from earmarks this year.
Waxman won’t request earmarks this year
Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) joined several House Republicans Tuesday by promising not to request any earmarks in appropriations bills this year.
“We have a problem in [...]
Filed under: Earmarks, Pork, Reform | No Comments »
Posted on February 12, 2008 by Alexa Moutevelis
are California Reps. Lois Capps (D) and Devin Nunes (R) for attempting to impede the recovery of hundreds of millions in overpayments to Medicare providers in the state of California. Read Porker here and read more background on the story here and here.
Filed under: Medicare/aid, Pork, Porker, Waste | No Comments »
Posted on February 12, 2008 by Alexa Moutevelis
See Tom Schatz discuss the Fannie/Freddie provision in the stimulus package on CNBC’s Pork Watch from this morning.
Related post: Congress Stimulates Fannie’s Sprawl
Filed under: GSEs, In The News, Media Hits, Video | No Comments »
Posted on February 11, 2008 by Leslie Paige
The just-passed stimulus package contains a provision which would allow mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to start purchasing home mortgages in the jumbo market. They have been, up to now, legally barred from playing in that real estate, which is well-served by the private sector companies.
Under the guise of easing the credit crunch to those poor, beleaguered folks [...]
Filed under: Pork | 2 Comments »
Posted on February 8, 2008 by Alexa Moutevelis
Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) will defend the status quo against much needed reform in the farm bill conference committee.
Lincoln tapped for Farm Bill conference committee
Senate leaders named Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., this week to the panel expected to write Congress’ final version of the Farm Bill.
Lincoln will join House and Senate negotiators on a [...]
Filed under: Farm Bill, Porker | No Comments »
Posted on February 8, 2008 by Alexa Moutevelis
Bob Novak on why Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) is spooked by the idea of a president who goes after pork.
GOP’s Anti-Pork Nominee
During 35 years in Congress, the soft-spoken, gentlemanly Cochran seldom has uttered a harsh word about anybody. So why did he tell the Boston Globe recently that “the thought of [McCain] being president [...]
Filed under: Earmarks, In The News, Pork, Porker, Reform | No Comments »
Posted on February 7, 2008 by Alexa Moutevelis
On Friday, January 8, CBS Evening News with Katie Couric will be airing a piece by Investigative Reporter Sharyl Attkisson on improper payments in the Medicare program and the recovery auditing program’s successes in recovering millions in overpayments to hospitals in California, New York, and Florida, in which Leslie Paige is interviewed.
Check your local listings [...]
Filed under: Media Hits, Medicare/aid, Waste | 1 Comment »
