'Poems In Zoos' Makes Wasteful Government Spending List

CNS News ^ | December 28, 2010 | Eric Sclheiner

[IbJensen]

(CNSNews.com) - Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) has released a guide to what he believes to be some of the government’s most wasteful spending projects of 2010. The list includes poems in zoos, a museum of Grateful Dead memorabilia and a graveyard for neon signs.

In his introduction to the “Wastebook 2010” report, Coburn writes: “As 2010 ends, millions of Americans are still struggling to find work. Even those lucky enough to have jobs have had to tighten their belts and trim household budgets. For some this has meant cutting out luxuries; for others, having to make tough choices between necessities. For everyone it means taking stock of what they can really afford.

“Is it so much to expect Congress do the same?” he asked.

The senator urges Congress not to spend money on unneeded items, such as the over “$11.5 billion of examples provided” in his report.

Examples of wasteful spending highlighted in “Wastebook 2010” include:

-- The city of Las Vegas has received a $5.2 million federal grant to build the Neon Boneyard Park and Museum, including $1.8 million in 2010. For over the last decade, Museum supporters have gathered and displayed over 150 old Las Vegas neon signs, such as the Golden Nugget and Silver Slipper casinos.

-- The U.S. Department of Energy‘s electric bill is $190 million a year and auditors say millions of dollars are wasted on inefficient lighting. According to a U.S. Department of Energy Inspector General report released in June, the Department [of Energy] could save over $2.2 million in electric utility operating costs annually, by turning off the lights and using more efficient technology.

-- The Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded the University of California at Santa Cruz $615,000 federal funds to digitize Grateful Dead photographs, tickets, backstage passes, flyers, shirts, and other memorabilia.

-- A federal grant program has directed a million dollars to infuse zoos around the United States with snippets of poetry. The Little Rock Zoo now touts a sign sharing a bit of wisdom from Hans Christian Andersen, "Just living is not enough, said the butterfly. One must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower." Zoos in Chicago, New Orleans, Milwaukee, and Jacksonville, Florida, will also sport bits of poetry under this program.

[IbJensen]

It's a lost cause to complain about wasteful government spending. It may take Civil War II to rectify an abusive, out-of-control government.

Just take a look at how nature works. If there are too many squirrels and not enough food for the winter, you don't have to pass any legislation to fix the squirrel problem. The squirrels will simply die from starvation and the squirrel population will go back to a sustainable level. If our government can't or won't handle the economic crisis now, it will be handled simply by natural events. Millions may starve or die from social anarchy. And a new form of government may evolve.

I didn't say the cure would be a happy one. But there will be a cure even if our government fails to act.

[Hodar]

In a Libtard area, a Zoo will have an exhibit with animals, and give their species, habitat, information on their diet and variations of the species. Then, a flowery poem about how happy they were, living in the wild - avoiding predators, facing starvation, disease, injury and trying to to survive day by day.

In a Southern area, a Zoo will have an exhibit with animals, and give information on their species, habitat, infromation on thei diet and variations of their species. Then, on a separate placard will be recipes on how to fix them.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

It's a lost cause to complain about wasteful government spending

You are right about that. Any conservative who lists of wasteful spending projects is missing the big picture. Any time you have a massive government, it is going to spend money on silly things. Even if alleged "conservatives" run it (go back to the 2002 through 2006 Era when the GOP controlled everything and you'll find silly, wasteful spending).

The issue is the size of government, period. The entire thing needs to be cut back--each and every department, entitlements, everything. Once it is scaled back the silly spending will diminsh and perhaps even be eliminated.

Focusing on "earmarks" and wasteful projects like zoo poetry gets the average American thinking that if we just eliminated them, we'd balance the budget. That is the biggest lie going.