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by Causes | 9.25.18

A government transparency advocacy group called for a national “war on waste” in a 2-page Wall Street Journal ad on Monday.

OpenTheBooks.com proposed a three-pronged approach to tackle what it sees as federal waste:

Post White House expenditures online;
Cut executive agency waste; and
Report monthly progress to the public.

What’s wasteful?

OpenTheBooks CEO and founder Adam Andrzejewski said:

“America is facing a spending crisis. We are asking the president to defend the American taxpayer and cut the egregious waste, fraud, and taxpayer abuse from executive agency budgets.”

The ad featured 100 examples of what OpenTheBooks views as federal waste, and the group maintains a dedicated website documenting “federal taxpayer abuse.” Examples include:

Billions of dollars spent conferring 43 days of paid time off for federal employees each year;
Mistakes and improper payments on the part of Medicare, Medicaid, and 20 federal agencies costing more than $1.6 trillion over 13 years; and
Millions of dollars \"wasted\" on federal grants that fund video games, sex education for sex workers, and “frivolous” studies, such as $1 million to study “where it hurts the most to be stung by a bee.”

People’s views on what’s wasteful vary. Many may feel that federal employees’ paid time off is appropriate, or that sex education for sex workers fulfills an important public health objective.

Often, studies that appear frivolous to the general public may be more important than meets the eye. Historically, some government-funded studies that were originally seen as boondoggles have led to major medical and scientific breakthroughs that we now take for granted.

As of last year, for the first time since World War II, the federal government no longer funds a majority of the basic research carried out in the U.S., while the pharmaceutical industry has boosted its research funding considerably.

Other examples of waste that OpenTheBooks identified may invite less debate: Most Americans, regardless of political affiliation, are likely to take issue with money that’s lost to error and poor program administration.

While waste may be in the eye of the beholder, OpenTheBooks’ call for greater transparency would allow taxpayers to see for themselves where federal expenditures go.

Dr. Tom Coburn, former U.S. Senator (R-Oklahoma) and Honorary Chairman of OpenTheBooks, said in a press release:

“With $21 trillion in federal debt, remember, it’s not your money, but your children’s money that our elected politicians are spending. We are calling on the president to prioritize fiscal restraint.”

What do you think?

Does the U.S. need a “war on waste”? Why or why not? Tell your reps what you think, then share your thoughts below.

—Sara E. Murphy

(Photo Credit: iStock.com / -Oxford-)

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