Time to Cut Government Waste

Cal Thomas | Syndicated columnist | Published: Feb 14, 2001

Time to Cut Government Waste


The debate about taxes and how much to cut them ought to include wasteful spending and how to eliminate it.

Citizens Against Government Waste will publish its annual "pig book" next month. Among many recommendations to eliminate wasteful spending of our money are these: Cut the pork! In a year of surpluses and rosy economic forecasts, a Republcian Congress bellied up to the trough for $17.7 billion in pork in the fiscal 2000 appropriations bills. That's a 47 percent increase from the 1999 total of $12 billion.

Americorps, which pays "volunteers," - a contradiction - could be eliminated, saving $429 million over five years. Subsidies to the U.S. steel industry are no longer needed. That would save $2.5 billion over five years.

Citizens against government waste lists 545 recommendations that would save taxpayers $1.2 trillion if implemented. Yes, cut our taxes. Even more, starve the beast so it doesn't need the food. Go to the CAGW Web page for more. You'll be surprised at how much of our money the government is wasting.

I'm Cal Thomas in Washington.

Time to Cut Government Waste