The Federal Budget: One Bite at a Time

Many argue that unless you tackle entitlements, other cuts don't matter. One pundit yesterday called them 'chump change' and that's inaccurate.

While entitlements like social security and Medicare/Medicaid represent a big chunk the federal budget, you can also cut the deficit not one slice at a time but by one BITE at a time. That's how the federal budget is built; with a thousand different programs.

An ongoing report by the White House grades virtually every federal program on a scale of zero to 100. The government's own auditors determined 25% of federal programs "demonstrate NO evidence of success." The Department of Education wasted $7 billion on 48 programs that don't work, Health and Human Services spent $12 billion on 31 programs that fail, and Homeland Security and HUD - another $21 billion in programs found useless. If you add up all the agencies, that's $142 billion each year on programs our own government says are ineffective.

Some of these programs include the Women, Infants & Children Farmers' Market Program. This program gives low-income women free money, in addition to normal food stamps and cash, to buy food at farmers' marketsIt scored 0% - out of 100 points, costing you $41 million. Or how about the Teaching American History program. Here is $120 million to help teachers teach history in "exciting and engaging ways." There is no evidence it works. Some lawmakers say making small cuts would add up.

"There are many reasons why you have to address the small spending projects as well," said Arizona Congressman Jeff Flake. "They add up to a lot of money. They grease the skids for higher spending and politically there is no way you simply can attack and cut the pop programs without addressing the smaller ones." If you take all of the programs with failing grades, or those below 64%, there are 600 programs totaling $ 900 billion . To find out more, check out expectmore.gov and look at the ‘not performing' program link.  See for yourself where and why Washington is wasting.