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This Year’s Festivus Report Released

The annual Festivus report looks at government waste.

By:  |  December 29, 2020  |    388 Words
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(Photo by Greg Nash-Pool/Getty Images)

Politicians engage in billions of dollars of waste. The people have accepted this frivolous spending because there is nothing they can do since both political parties are guilty of this reckless behavior. Only one senator from Kentucky has had enough of the waste of tax dollars, spending the holiday season to air his grievances.

The Festivus Report: A Primer

Since 2014, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul has released the Festivus Report, a yearly study of how the federal government spends tax dollars. The report is broken down every year into six categories: energy, environment, foreign aid, health care, military, and miscellaneous. It also lists some noteworthy findings to show just how pointless some of the spending can be in Washington.

Festivus – The 2020 Edition

“I got a lotta problems with federal spending, and now you’re gonna hear about it!” writes Senator Paul in his latest Festivus Report.

The Kentucky Republican unveiled $54 billion in tax dollars that were “totally wasted” in 2020. What were some of the examples? Here is a brief list:

  • $1.5 million to examine lizards walking on treadmills.
  • $37.5 million to help the Philippines solve its problem with truant youths.
  • $4.5 million to spray drunk rats with bobcat pee.
  • $36 million to turn mice’s hair gray.
  • $2 million to find out if a hot tub can reduce stress.
  • $700,000 to subsidize the Tunisian Chambers of Commerce.
  • $2.8 million to prepare bugs for you to eat.

A History of Waste

This type of waste has been going on for decades. Senator Paul has highlighted the billions of dollars that have been abused and misused in the nation’s capital for the last six years.

Here are some examples from over the last six years:

  • 2019: $2 million to improve television programming in Moldova.
  • 2018: $650,000 to produce a television drama series to air in Afghanistan.
  • 2017: $1.5 million to study how to make tomatoes taste better.
  • 2016: $6 million for the Fort Belvoir Eagle’s Nest Dining Facility, which later shut down permanently.
  • 2015: $450,000 to create a climate change video game.
  • 2014: $853,000 to develop a curriculum of winemaking studies at Washington community colleges.

While it can be hilarious to see the stuff the government squanders money on, it is also insulting to the millions of taxpayers struggling to get by. The government’s out of control spending has created a huge national debt, but there is no change in sight. What will they come up with next year?

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