What do you think has been the biggest waste of taxpayers' money over the last 30 years?

[nerdgirl 0]

Why?

And how much ($/time) do you think your nominee for biggest waste of taxpayers' money 'wasted'?

VR/Marg

Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters.
Tibetan Buddhist saying

[pirana 0]

I suppose it really is just a matter of opinion with a term like "waste."

Mine is the war in Iraq. No real benefit that I can see, and a pretty frickin' humongous tab.

The "War on Drugs" has got to be another biggie. It's already gotta be way more than was spent trying to suppress alcohol consumption during prohibition (even taking inflation into account).

" . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

[rehmwa 2]

no social programs on this list, "other" will drive Vinnie Crazy.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[shropshire 0]

um.... as a nosy Johnny Foreigner - How about, All of the Above?

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[kelpdiver 2]

you're not giving us data?!

30 years of the war on drugs has got to be the winner, but how much did it actually cost? Which of course is an accounting challenge.

But measured by results, certainly the biggest flop. Iraq II at least got rid of Hussein, though it did that for considerably less than the 1T.

[normiss 897]

War on Drugs

[DanG 1]

I voted OIF because the true cost needs to include the 4000+ US servicemen killed, the $1T spent, the reduction of military capacity to deal with real threats, the distraction from the War on Terror, and the erosion of US standing as a world leader. No monetary value can be assessed for the whole shebang.

The War on Drugs comes a close second.

- Dan G

[stitch 0]

Hmmm, well depending on whom you listen to. The Iraq war has already cost more than WW II did worldwide. We've supposedly already sunk over $300 billion into it. A lot of sources say easily double that.

Why did you include the Super Collider ? All they ever did was allocate the land and dig the tunnels. Then gave up. Another white elephant.

"No cookies for you"- GFD
"I don't think I like the sound of that" ~ MB65
Don't be a "Racer Hater"

[grimmie 186]

TSA/Homeland Security rip off
Iraq War fiasco
Defense budget overall
Star Wars missle scam/SDI

This may be the final Nation vs. Nation war. Everyone has seen how much it costs, countries can't afford this major of a war effort anymore.

[TheAnvil 0]

Oh dear God look at these choices. And not a social program among them. I don't want to send dumbfucks and fucktards into apoplexy stating the obvious about their beloved social programs right before the holidays, so let me think on these for a bit.

My first inkling would be The War on Drugs with DHS being a close second, but TARP's magnitude is so great that it's hard to ignore.

War on Drugs is goat fuck stupid - just like prohibition and supporters of the card check abomination that will come up during the next four years. The DEA's budget and the portion of the total DOJ annual budget combined over the last three decades adjusted by CPI for total $ in FY09 values would probably approach TARP I do believe. When you would take into account the ancillary costs - state, local, prison, food, CERS/FERS, medical, DoD etc - associated with the war on drugs and its prosecution, I think it would dwarf the TARP in magnitude and have a close to zero ROI for the taxpayer. Take into account lost tax revenue from taxation of drugs, and you've got an even greater loss.

PB09 had $50 Billion requested total budget authority for DHS. Add in long term costs for employees and the like, and over time that will be a HUGE budget drain. A mere decade will have it over TARP in magnitude. ROI on that is arguable.

Those three I think are the greatest with the least ROI for the taxpayer. As much as I detest social programs, I do see a need for some of them. It's the cowardly refusal of the left to modify those programs that infuriates me - they are OBVIOUSLY insolvent and will destroy the budget shortly...if one still exists.

The accounting challenge to accurately model which one costs the most over a given time frame in conjunction with the subjectiveness for ROI for the taxpayer makes differentiating between any of these accurately a challenge and any opinions a gut feel at best. That's my gut feel.

My US$0.02. TARP, DHS, and War on Drugs. Sheesh. Now the fucking auto-bailout. What next? Airline? Utility? Plumbing shop?

Vinny the Anvil
Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL
JACKASS POWER!!!!!!

[nerdgirl 0]

Quote

I suppose it really is just a matter of opinion with a term like "waste."

Yep, it is opinion ... and I concur with [DanG] that "waste" is more than just dollars. But that's my opinion. And opinions are what I'm curious to read.

The current results are a little surprising to me: 42% (20 people) have voted for the Iraq war as I’m posting this. Only 4 people (8%) have voted for the bailout.

/Marg

Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters.
Tibetan Buddhist saying

[grimmie 186]

It will be interesting to see how much spent on the Iraq war came back to the USA. With so many offshore business entities profiting and not paying into Social Security and US taxes, I don't think there is any ROI. Now add in all of the costs for military medical care, rebuilding Iraq, rebuilding our sandpapered military vehicles and a hundred other "hidden" costs, it's staggering!
And 4,000+ lives...

[nerdgirl 0]

Quote

Why did you include the Super Collider ? All they ever did was allocate the land and dig the tunnels. Then gave up. Another white elephant.

To include something different that did incure $2B in expenses, out of a projected $12B overall cost in mid-1990s, and as you point out is now just ... essentially ... very expensive holes in the ground south of Dallas. One could argue it as a waste from at least 3 different angles: 'folly' of pure science, indication of lack of government follow-through & cost over-runs, or indicative of short-term choices that may contribute to the decline of American scientific and technological prominence. Also wanted to include something that would clearly not be my own personal choice.
VR/Marg

Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters.
Tibetan Buddhist saying

[lawrocket 3]

I'll go with "Interest on the National Debt" - which was over $250 billion in 2008 and the No. 4 on the list of biggest spending programs for the U.S. That money - again, just INTEREST, is fundamentally tossed in order to pay for more things that cannot be afforded. It amounts to about $850.00 for every man, woman and child in order to pay INTEREST on spending. You know, rather than paying interest on $10.6 trillion (plus principal) perhaps we should say, "Hmm. Maybe we shouldn't be spending any more than we can bring in without more debt."

Folsk, let's talk about how big $10.6 trillion is. Some people think that the total amount of value lost in the US housing market is $6 trillion. Thus, if all of that money that had been lost had been applied to the national debt, then the national debt would STILL be at nearly $5 trillion. The interest alone is a quarter trillion per year.

Along with this, any of the "War on [something]" programs are wasteful - none more so than the "War on Poverty." Seeing as how the poverty rate was plummeting in 1965, it then stabilized without any sustained improvement since then. The violent crime rate, which had previously dropped, increased in its wake. The slums that it sought to destroy were replaced with housing projects, which became war zones.

The problem with the "War on Poverty" is that it sought not to "create wealth" but to "resdistribute wealth. It's like "Americorps." What a great idea! Work after college to repay your debt. That's just another way of saying, "Getting a job."

Want to do your part to fight poverty? Get a job. Can't get a high paying job now? Do well at the low-paying job and you'll find that you get paid more, which makes it a better-paying job (which is why poverty among the middle-aged is practically non-existent).

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[Amazon 7]

As much as I think the Iraq war has been a travesty.. I still think the "War on Drugs" has been the BIGGEST...most LUDICROUS misuse of taxpayer money.

But it sure gives all the hard core conservative law and order types.. stiffies just thinking about all that power.. kicking down doors.. black DEA helicopsters...to arrest Tommy Chong for selling glass bongs

[FallingOsh 0]

Yeah but those programs give the left a hard on...giving away money we don't have to whoever wants it...regardless of effort to better themselves...sticking those who actually work with the bill

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Stay positive and love your life.

[tonyhays 86]

You forgot an option for politicians salaries.

“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”

[kallend 2,150]

Quote

I'll go with "Interest on the National Debt" - which was over $250 billion in 2008 and the No. 4 on the list of biggest spending programs for the U.S. That money - again, just INTEREST, is fundamentally tossed in order to pay for more things that cannot be afforded. ).

The national debt is caused by government spending on things with no ROI, like unnecessary wars on things (drugs) and nations (Iraq). If we hadn't pissed away that money in the first place we wouldn't have to pay interest on it.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[Butters 0]

Quote

War on Drugs is goat fuck stupid - just like prohibition and supporters of the card check abomination that will come up during the next four years. The DEA's budget and the portion of the total DOJ annual budget combined over the last three decades adjusted by CPI for total $ in FY09 values would probably approach TARP I do believe. When you would take into account the ancillary costs - state, local, prison, food, CERS/FERS, medical, DoD etc - associated with the war on drugs and its prosecution, I think it would dwarf the TARP in magnitude and have a close to zero ROI for the taxpayer. Take into account lost tax revenue from taxation of drugs, and you've got an even greater loss.

Don't forget about all the money the FBI and CIA have and are spending in other countries to fight the War on Drugs ...

"That looks dangerous." Leopold Stotch

[lawrocket 3]

Of course! That's why it's so wasteful. Perhaps it was subtle, but I was hinting that the government spends way too much on way too much for way too little.

My wife is hotter than your wife.