The federal debt is skyrocketing, but Congress has refused to do anything about.
The saddest part? A huge portion of taxpayer dollars are simply wasted. Not used on controversial welfare programs or the military. Just wasted.
Here are a few examples from an article co-authored by Convention of States Senior Advisor Sen. Tom Coburn published on The Hill:
The federal government doled out more than $600 billion in grants last year; many produced little value for taxpayers. A $1.4 million grant funded sex-education for California prostitutes, another one studied “where it hurts the most to be stung by a bee.” And a $1 million grant sought to prepare religions for the discovery of extraterrestrial life. Lastly, NASA spent $2.5 million to produce “Space Racers,” an animated children’s cartoon. The American taxpayer paid for a $9.2 million grant to the airport on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts.
Even America’s most elite universities and successful corporations received plenty of taxpayer subsidies. In a six-year period, the eight schools of the Ivy League received $22 billion in federal grants — despite having $120 billion amassed in their endowments. Over the last three years, Fortune 100 companies received $3.2 billion in grants. Boeing can’t argue it needed the $774 million in federal grants while reporting nearly $100 billion in annual revenue.
Then there’s the highly compensated bureaucracy. At 78 large federal agencies, the average employee made a six-figure salary. The federal government disclosed 2 million employees costing taxpayers $1.1 million per minute, $65.6 million per hour and more than half of a billion dollars per day. More than 1 million federal employees received a performance bonus last year costing taxpayers $1.5 billion.
Cash compensation is only part of the true taxpayer cost. After just three years, a federal civil servant can receive 43 days of paid time off — that’s 10 holidays, 13 sick days and 20 vacation days. We estimate this benefit package costs $22.6 billion annually because more full-time employees are “needed” to cover for those on vacation. Are we now France?
President Trump is working to cut down on federal waste, but the job is too big to complete in four or eight years. The next administration will be right back to business as usual, which is why the states need to call a Convention of States.
A Convention of States can propose constitutional amendments that force the feds to be fiscally responsible. These amendments can mandate a balanced budget, but actually give that amendment teeth by also imposing tax caps and spending limitations.
Sign your name to the petition below to force Congress to stop wasting our money!
