Free Republic

From an extra day's hotel stay so military officials can fit in a round of golf to federal workers who fly business class instead of coach, questionable travel expenditures have remained a persistent problem across the federal government in recent years. At the State Department, for instance, nearly 80 percent of the more than $300,000 in airfare reviewed at one little-known office in fiscal 2007 and 2008 went to pay for business-class airline tickets, and many of those purchases violated federal travel policy. One senior manager at the National Science Foundation took or extended taxpayer-funded trips totaling more than $10,000...

How rich bastards like me rip off taxpayers for millions of dollars Law grinds the poor, and rich men rule the law. -- Oliver Goldsmith Ronald Reagan memorably complained about "welfare queens," but he never told us that the biggest welfare queens are the already wealthy. Their lobbyists fawn over politicians, giving them little bits of money -- campaign contributions, plane trips, dinners, golf outings -- in exchange for huge chunks of taxpayers’ money. Millionaires who own your favorite sports teams get subsidies, as do millionaire farmers, corporations, and well-connected plutocrats of every variety. Even successful, wealthy TV journalists. That’s...

Starting next year, rainwater will no longer be free in the city of Winona. While it hasn't figured out how to tax air or sex, beginning in 2003 the Winona City Council will charge city property owners for the rain that falls on their land. As part of the 2003 budget process, the council gave tentative approval to the creation of a $200,000 stormwater fund. The money will be generated by a charge, similar to water and sewer charges, billed to owners of property that drains into the city storm sewer system. The stormwater fund was discussed by council and...