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The amount of wasteful spending in this country, to say the least, is completely outrageous. The money being allotted for frivolous spending throughout the government of the United States of America is completely out of control. All the bills that are sighted in this report are from the fiscal year of 2009.

$14.6 million for brown snake tree control. Over the last ten years, Representatives Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Representative Madeline Bordallo (D-Guam) have brought home $14.6 mllion in earmarks for brown snake tree control. In Fiscal Year 2009, they received $1.2 million alone. Are brown snakes such a problem that they are worth $14.6 million? $1.2 million is a great example of wasteful government spending, let alone $14.6 over ten years!

The next Bill that smells like bacon, is one that House Appropriator Carolyn Kilpatrick ( D-Mich ), requested $50,000 for. This money is being used for tree replacement in River Rouge, MI. According to a census completed in 2000, this town had a population of less then 10,000 people. Could this money not have had a better use? How many trees do you get for $50,000? Does a town of less then 10,000 people really need this many trees. Why not start a community outreach program to keep kids off the streets and off of drugs. Education, in my opinion, is more important then a few thousand trees.

Military spending receives a large amount of attention. Usually, the attention is on spending for the Iraq war. This story is not about war spending but about spending on an access road. Representative Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) joined Senators Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) and Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) in requesting $30 million. The $30 million will be spent on Phase Five of an access road at Pohakuloa Training Area. Phases One through Four have already cost $74.4 million. Now that is wasteful government spending.

Another earmark for overspending was allotted once again for none other then Military Construction. This was requested by then- Senator Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), Senator Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Representative Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.). $9,000,000 for a dining facility/ community center at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station. Thats an enormous amount of money for a gathering place. A better appropriation for these funds would be better used on veterans who have fought in wars both past and present. They have served this country and are owed any financial or medical problems they may encounter; such as clothing, medical bills, shelter, and rehabilitation if so needed. It is heartbreaking to see the amount of war veterans that are homeless on the streets and are unable to get jobs. Yet the government wants to build an oversized dining room? Why? Useless spending once again if you ask me.

And last but not least, lets end this with an extremely wasteful way to spend money. We can thank the Department of Agriculture and Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee member Tom Harkin (D-Iowa). He requested $1,791,000 for Swine Odor and Manure Management Research in Ames IA. The so called purpose of this bill is to generate and integrate knowledge for evaluation and development of new management practices that minimize nutrient excretion, malodorous emissions, and the release of pathogens into the environment as well as have a positive impact on animal health.

Swine are not the only things that give off stinky manure. Just go into the bathroom after Larry the Cable Guy. Yet, we do not study ways to make human feces smell better. It does not make much since to study why swine manure has an odor. It is not a new problem. Is this really the most important problem and the best use for $1,791,000.

For several years, Department of Defense has worked on a new jet plane. The Joint Strike Fighter would provide America a more advanced piece of military machinery. There is no surprise in this plane. Keeping Americans safe requires that we develop the newest weapons. What is surprising is the jet’s engines. A successful engine has been developed. Congress decided that the engine would be cheaper is there was competition. $465 million was allocated to develop a second engine. Not because the first one did not work, just to make competition. Some would call this wasteful government spending.

A total of 100 Senators and 435 Representatives have refused to be associated with this bill by remaining anonymous. Hint, hint, anyone? If the officials we have elected are hiding their voices and not wanting to be tagged with this, then why has the millions of dollars even been allotted for these mind blowing bills? $465 million for competition level engines? I urge you to pick up the phone, call your local Representative, and let them know how utterly disgusted you are with the way taxpayer’s dollars are being spent.

The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance is a government-wide compendium of Federal programs, projects, services, and activities that provide assistance or benefits to the American public. It contains financial and nonfinancial assistance programs administered by departments and establishments of the Federal government.

In 1984, Public Law 98-169 authorized the transfer of responsibilities of the Federal Program Information Act from the Office of Management and Budget to the General Services Administration. The transfer took place in July 1984. These responsibilities include the dissemination of Federal domestic assistance program information through the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, pursuant to the Federal Program Information Act, Public Law 95-220, as amended by Public Law 98-169.

Responsibility for the database of Federal assistance lies with the GSA. The Office of Management and Budget interfaces with the range of Federal agencies on behalf of the General Services Administration delivering the required oversight to the program data related to domestic assistance.

As the basic reference source of Federal programs, the primary purpose of the Catalog is to assist users in identifying programs that meet specific objectives of the potential applicant, and to obtain general information on Federal assistance programs. In addition, the intent of the Catalog is to improve coordination and communication between the Federal government and State and local governments.

The Catalog lets grant seekers access all domestic programs managed by Federal agencies and departments in a single resource. All information is cross referenced by functional classification, Subject Index, Applicant Index, deadline(s) for program application submission, and Authorization Index. All of this information is invaluable as resource tools that can make it easier to identify specific areas of program interest more efficiently.

Since 1977 the General Services Administration has published printed editions of the Catalog. Legislation required free dissemination of the Catalog to specific recipients. In 2003 the GSA distributed close to 10,000 copies of the Catalog.

New rulings now gives the General Services Administration discretion in what form to produce and disseminate the CFDA. The GSA is endeavoring to move to a more paper free environment and toward that end now maintains and distributes the Catalog through the CFDA Website. The GSA no longer prints and distributes free copies of the Catalog.