Where is the Money Going?
Boeing Charged Army $1,679 for Helicopter Part Worth $7.71
Boeing has returned $1.6 million so far to the federal government for overcharging the U.S. Army for helicopter parts.
The refund was initiated by an audit from the inspector general of the Department of Defense, which uncovered extraordinar... read more
U.S. Pays $176 Million to Build Road in Afghanistan
The United States is on track to spend nearly $3 million a mile on a new highway in southern Afghanistan, making it a monument to corruption and ineptitude.
The Gardez-Khost Road was conceived to link the Afghan government to remote areas of... read more
California Bill Would Charge Banks $20,000 for Each Foreclosure
A California lawmaker wants to stem the rate of home foreclosures in his state by requiring banks to pay $20,000 every time they seize a property.
Democratic Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield, author of the Foreclosure Mitigation Fee (AB 935), pro... read more
U.S. War Spending to Drop to “Only” $360 Million a Day
The United States is spending less these days on its overseas wars, compared to the peak period a few years ago. But that doesn’t mean the cost of continuing combat operations isn’t absorbing a tremendous amount of money.
Not including the n... read more
No More Federal Funds to Clean Up Meth Labs
Local law enforcement has been left picking up the cost of cleaning up busted meth labs now that the federal government has axed all funding for such work.
Due to budget cuts by President Barack Obama, the Drug Enforcement Administration has... read more
Banks Borrowed from U.S. Government and Loaned it Back at Higher Rates
Banks have made a killing off the near-zero interest rate loans provided by the Federal Reserve during the 2008-2009 financial crisis—by taking the money and loaning it back to the U.S. Treasury at rates 12 times higher.
At the request of U.... read more
Americans’ Wages as Percent of Income Hits Lowest Since 1929
Not since the Great Depression has so small a percentage of the United States’ income been generated by wages as now.
Last year, only 51% of personal income was derived from working salaries, the lowest since 1929, according to an analysis b... read more
Wasting Taxpayer Money: Let’s Eat Dead Goats
Here is another installment in AllGov’s series of ways in which the federal government spends money on dubious projects.
A Tough Sell
Project: Studying Goat Meat
Location: Ft. Valley State University in Georgia
Cost: $200,000
What is It... read more
Illegal Immigrants Pay $11 Billion in Taxes a Year
Unlike certain corporate powers that make billions of dollars and pay no taxes, illegal immigrants generate billions of tax dollars for state governments.
The Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy has concluded that unauthorized immigra... read more
Florida Unions Withdraw from Banks that Support Chamber of Commerce
In Florida, where Republican lawmakers want to prevent public employee unions from collecting dues through government payroll systems, labor leaders have decided to pull their organizations’ accounts from banks connected to the Florida Chamber o... read more
Wall Street Journal Distorts Facts on Taxing the Rich: Jeffrey Sachs
Jeffrey Sachs, an economist and director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University, has taken exception to the assertion by The Wall Street Journal that it’s pointless to increase taxes on the wealthy.
Journal editors claimed that even a 1... read more
Sen. Graham Trades Judicial Confirmations for a $50,000 Study
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina has given up his political hostages –namely, all of President Barack Obama’s unconfirmed nominees—in exchange for $50,000 to study a key port back home.
After learning that his pet project ... read more
Pseudo-Agricultural Tax Breaks Save Money for Rich and Famous
Agricultural tax breaks aren’t just for the benefit of farmers, but also for the exploitive use of America’s rich and famous. Yasha Levine of The Nation points out some prime examples:
Michael Dell, founder of Dell Computers and the second-r... read more
For Richest 400, Income Quadruples while Tax Rate Plunges
The richest of the rich did very well for themselves from 1995 to 2007, thanks in part to a shrinking tax burden for the wealthy.
A new report from the IRS shows the effective tax rate for the richest 400 Americans dropped by almost half dur... read more
Mental Health Costs for Combat Veterans…$1 Billion a Year
The psychological impact of war may be costing the United States more than $1 billion a year, according to a new federally-sponsored study.
The National Bureau of Economic Research has concluded that mental health problems stemming from sold... read more
Smithsonian Gift Shop Pledges to Convert to Made in America Only
Tourists visiting the Smithsonian may have to pay higher prices for souvenirs from the gift shop following demands by one U.S. senator that the museum sell only products made in the United States.
The changeover, set to take effect in July, ... read more