Government Spending Archives - Page 17 of 27

Obama Spends $1.2 billion on Cycling & Walking Initiatives

From the you won’t read or hear this from the U.S. media department. London Telegraph: “The Obama administration more than doubled spending on cycling and walking initiatives to $1.2 billion (£810 million) last year as it seeks to coax Americans out of their cars. . . . In March, Mr Obama’s transportation secretary, Ray LaHood, announced a policy “sea change” that gives biking and walking projects the same importance as automobiles in transportation planning and the selection of projects for federal money.”

Mesa Wants to Spend $84 Million to Employ Part-time Hot Dog Vendors 14 Times a Year at Cubs Spring Training Games

The Tax Foundation has a blog post called “Arizona Politicians are Big Cubs Fans.” I checked the Cubs 2010 spring training schedule and they played 14 games at the the Mesa ball park. Some of the city powers that be want Mesa to spend $84 to build a new facility to keep the Cubs from bolting to another city.

Arizona Deficit Approaches $10 Billion

Arizona Republic: “Imagine selling your house to raise money – and then leasing it back, with interest, over 30 years. That’s essentially what Arizona is doing this week as it conducts a two-day sale of state buildings. The sale, which concludes today, is expected to net the state $300 million. But it will cost much more to repay when interest is added, and it will contribute to raising the state’s total debt load to more than $10 billion, a figure five times as great as a decade ago.”

U.S debt to rise to $19.6 trillion by 2015

Reuters: “he U.S. debt will top $13.6 trillion this year and climb to an estimated $19.6 trillion by 2015, according to a Treasury Department report to Congress.”

Seel “I Want It All, Even Better If You Pay for It.”

Can a Soda Tax Save Us From Ourselves?

New York Times: “a national soda tax was briefly considered by the Senate Finance Committee as a way to help pay for President Obama’s health care overhaul. But is a soda tax a good idea?”