Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) recently released a report on the “Worst Waste of the Year.” This report details some of the most ridiculous, wasteful, duplicative, and flat out silly instances of spending that comes out of Washington, DC.
Coburn says that “Wasting taxpayer dollars in any year is unacceptable, but the extent to which it occurred in 2008 was a clear demonstration of how Washington politicians often put low-priority items ahead of more important needs.” I could not have said it better myself.
In his report, Coburn spells out a 7 step plan for reducing wasteful Washington spending:
- Eliminate programs that do not work;
- Eliminate or consolidate duplicative programs;
- Eliminate earmarks;
- Implement stronger transparency measures;
- Conduct more congressional oversight;
- End automatic budget increases for federal programs; and
- Establish independent and enforceable performance measures for every program.
To view Senator Coburn’s report in full, click here.