Coburn releases his final government Wastebook

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Outgoing Sen. Tom Coburn’s final rendition of his government Wastebook was released this week, chronicling $25 billion worth of wasteful spending on 100 “silly, unnecessary, and low priority projects.”

“Washington politicians are more focused on their own political futures than the future of our country,” Coburn declares in the introduction of the publication. “And with no one watching over the vast bureaucracy, the problem again isn’t just what Washington isn’t doing, but what it is doing.”

The lawmaker’s 182-page report provides example of government’s wasteful use of taxpayer dollars at all levels, pointing out examples everywhere from the Pentagon and Veterans Affairs Department to the National Science Foundation.

Here are just a few examples of the sort of waste Coburn highlights:

  • $4.6 million spent by Customs and Border Patrol for luxury homes for temporary agents.
  • $48.6 million spent by the Department of Homeland Security for vehicles which are not being used.
  • $331,000 spent by the National Science Foundation to examine how spouses interact with voodoo dolls when they are hungry and angry.
  • $16 billion for the Department of Defense to destroy ammunition.
  • $450,000 in Department of Homeland Security spending on gym memberships.

With accusations flying in recent weeks that budget cuts have hindered government’s ability to respond to Ebola threats, Coburn also points out bogus public health spending such as $371,026 spent to determine whether mothers love their dogs as much as their children.

Via the Wastebook:

Dogs and children were first “photographed in the participants’ home.” Mothers were then shown a series of dog and child photos from other participants in the study, as well as photos of their own. As they looked at each, their brains were monitored with an MRI scanner.

“As you read through the entries presented in this report, ask yourself: Is each of these a true national priority or could the money have been better spent on a more urgent need or not spent at all in order to reduce the burden of debt being left to be paid off by our children and grandchildren?” Coburn said in the report.

Read The Full Report Below:

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Personal Liberty

Sam Rolley

After covering news and politics for traditional media outlets, Sam Rolley took a position at Personal Liberty Media Group where he focuses on his true passions: national politics and liberty issues. In his daily columns and reports, Rolley works to help readers recognize lies perpetuated by the mainstream media and develop a better understanding of issues ignored by more conventional outlets. Follow him on Twitter @SamRolley