If you are fuming about the $21 trillion national debt that the government is saddling our grandchildren with, at least take heart that all that spending is both wise and necessary. We know from the great relief expressed by Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer that the “days of austerity” are over that whatever spending Washington has been doing over the past few years has been absolutely essential.
Like, for instance, spending $142 billion since 2009 on improper Medicare payments. Or $55 billion to maintain outdated computer technology instead of simply replacing it with better, cheaper, newer computers. Or $1.3 million for a social media campaign urging women not to spend too much time in tanning beds, plus $500,000 for a text message campaign telling people not to chew tobacco (the same message that’s on the chewing tobacco package.) Or $48 million to build the Afghan Ministry of Defense a new headquarters building, a project that ran five years late and $106 million over budget. Or a $412,000 grant for a scientific paper on whether glaciers should be studied from a feminist point of view. Or $3.4 million to study aggression and anxiety in fighting hamsters. Or $5 million for a Brown University study that determined that frat and sorority members drink more than other students. Or $3 million for a study to see if hearing the “Jaws” theme music gives people negative feelings about sharks.
I could go on all day, but I can’t decide whether to laugh or cry. For more of the most ridiculous and infuriating wastes of your tax money, click the link.
PLEASE LEAVE ME A COMMENT. I READ THEM!