Category: Common Sense View on Government Spending

Government Waste vs. Investment

Posted on by Ladmann

Government Waste vs. Investment

Though I am a Libertarian, I believe we are at a flexing point in our country where we need to invest in basic foundations, that solidify the freedoms we believe in. A sample of these investments are:

  • Physical infrastructure; roads, bridges, dams, water, climate change, housing,
  • Reduction in regulations that overburden all aspects of our society,
  • “Green Energy” technology,
  • Job training and education for the new economic realities.

Obviously, these all require spending from funds not available, except through additional debt. So additional sources of funding are required. A sample of these are:

  • Reducing unnecessary spending in government programs and departments lacking the urgent priorities facing us,
  • Eliminating tax subsidies no longer necessary and counter-productive such as tobacco, oil, coal, agriculture, etc.,
  • Closing multiple military bases overseas, and returning troops home,
  • Reducing NASA budgets for space exploration, living on Mars is not the answer,
  • Reducing international interference and involvement in other countries.

It is not governments job to solve all problems and fund all projects. By trying to do too much, we lesson the benefits to all.

It is not our country’s job to be the policeman of the world. We continuously spend vast sums in blood and treasure in short-sited, inappropriate, and incorrect activities.

We require a small and more focused government at all levels.

US Department of Education

Posted on by Ladmann

ED’s mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. ED was created in 1980 by combining offices from several federal agencies. ED’s 4,400 employees and $68 billion budget. Education is primarily a State and local responsibility in the United States. It is States and communities, as well as public and private organizations of all kinds, that establish schools and colleges, develop curricula, and determine requirements for enrollment and graduation. The structure of education finance in America reflects this predominant State and local role.

One final note: while ED’s programs and responsibilities have grown substantially over the years, the Department itself has not. In fact, the Department has the smallest staff of the 15 Cabinet agencies, even though its discretionary budget alone is the third largest, behind only the Department of Defense and the Department of Health and Human Services. In addition, the Department provides over $150 billion in new and consolidated loans annually.

– https://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/fed/role.html

Close the department. It has outlasted its usefulness. According to the ED data there are 13,600 public school districts in the US. $68,000,000,000/13,600= $5,000,000 to each district to spend as they see fit. [By the way the 4,400 ED employees could go to work in actual districts providing education. That would provide 3 FTEs per district at a cost of approximately $350,000 of the $5 million they receive.

 

California Debt Issue and a Train to Nowhere

Posted on by Ladmann

UNFUNDED STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT RETIREMENT OBLIGATIONS. If this analysis ended here, the total long-term debt owed by California’s state and local government entities would total $383.0 billion (including $27.8 billion in state budgetary borrowings which is arguably short-term debt).   Source:   http://californiapolicycenter.org/calculating-californias-total-state-and-local-government-debt.    And yet the state is spending an additional $68 billion with money we do not have on a train and we can not even keep the current roads repaired without additional taxes! REALLY?