• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • News
  • Topics
    • Common Sense
    • Congress
    • Debt
    • Government waste
    • Millenials
    • QuizCap
    • Taxes
  • Tools
    • Agencies
    • Memes That Matter
    • Research Library
    • Scavenger Hunt
  • Shop
  • What We’re About
  • Multimedia
  • What We’re About
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletter signup
  • Give to the Cause

A Tale of Two Americas

By Adam Kazda | August 12, 2016

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Barring a seismic turnaround, that’s likely how history books will write the 2016 Presidential race. While the American people were prepared for a serious discussion about the nation’s future, instead, they have been treated to one of the most caustic, shallow election seasons in recent memory. Indeed, most Americans are now feeling like the country will be headed in the wrong direction regardless who is elected President. This is a historic missed opportunity.

Popular Posts
  1. Social Security: Good Intentions, Unintended Consequences
  2. What Sam Adams Can Teach Us About the Corporate Tax Revamp
  3. The New Taxation Without Representation

Where can we find optimism in an election cycle that has been anything but optimistic? In one small corner of the Internet, I was fortunate to participate in an exercise that should give hope to anyone concerned about making government work again for all Americans.

Last week, the Foundation to Restore Accountability, an educational non-partisan organization founded last year by former U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, MD, launched the first ever USA Spending Scavenger Hunt. The scavenger hunt was a call to action for anyone and everyone who hopes to create real change in their government…simply using a laptop or smartphone. The task was simple, use usaspending.gov as a tool to find government waste, and share it with the foundation via social media. The top participant finds are to be featured in a rebirth of former Senator Tom Coburn’s Wastebook, an annual report that exposed Washington’s worst waste and outlined practical solutions to put the nation’s finances back on track.

× Follow us on Facebook and never miss a story.

Over the course of two weeks participants uncovered $930,810,582 of questionable, low priority or outright wasteful spending.

learn about our mission Artboard 1

USAspending.gov was created by Coburn and then Senator Barack Obama, with broad bi-partisan support, to create greater transparency within the Federal Government. The website hosts a searchable database where anyone can find every dollar spent by Federal agencies. Agencies are required to report the name of the entity receiving the award, the amount of the award, the recipient’s location, the place of performance, as well as other information. Any person with an Internet connection can use the website, the same site used by congressional staff and other Washington watchdogs, to weed out wasteful projects like monkeys on treadmills and Colorado’s dinosaur buses.

The Weekly Chaser

Get the latest content, first.

Restore Accountability is dedicated to making government more transparent, expose wasteful spending, and inspire future generations to get more involved in holding their government accountable. In its short life, the foundation has already been a beacon of inspiration for Americans who want to create change in their government. And with the succession of Coburn’s wildly popular Wastebooks, participants of the foundation’s challenge will have an opportunity to make their voice heard.

Over the course of two weeks participants uncovered $930,810,582 of questionable, low priority or outright wasteful spending including, a $500,000 DoD ski resort stay, a Border Patrol sponsored NASCAR, and numerous transactions for “golf.” While this was a small event, I believe it demonstrates the enormous and largely untapped potential that we as citizens hold to make our government work again for all Americans. Our problems are undoubtedly big and complex, but they are not unsolvable. With tools like usapending.gov now widely available, the American people can now do something their leaders have failed to: find wasteful spending and demand greater accountability.

Restore Accountability wants to involve all taxpayers, particularly younger Americans, in charting a better course for America’s finances. RestoreAccountabiliy.com has the tools and tutorials for anyone to get started. The keys to driving the change vehicle are already in the ignition, who wants to drive?

× Follow us on Twitter.

Featured in the Washington Examiner

sidebar

sidebar-alt

If you liked this, you’ll love these

Amidst the Partial Shutdown Drama Lies Opportunity

Read all about it Artboard 1

Six Things to Know About Our $666 Billion Deficit

Read all about it Artboard 1

The Transparency Revolution

Read all about it Artboard 1

Support Our Work

Federal agencies go largely unchecked, spending at will making use of inflated budgets. While some do very important work, we need to hold them accountable. You can do this by donating, emailing your legislator, or signing our petitions.

Donate Now

Sign Up for Pursuit Updates

Privacy Policy

Powered by the Foundation to Restore Accountability

Search
UNCOVER SOME GOVERNMENT WASTE?
share your opinion

Can you believe the US Government spends more money on it’s cable bill than on disaster relief?

NO! I’M FURIOUS! Eh, sounds right