Government Waste

ARLINGTON, Va. -- When one is "converted," people look for changes in behavior that testify to a transformation of heart and mind. The new House Democratic majority has announced its conversion on matters of institutional and individual ethics. Now comes the watching and waiting to measure the depth of its sincerity. Initial signs leave room for cautious optimism, or pessimism, depending on one's faith in people who have created the problem to provide the solution. Liken it to how much trust one might place in an embezzler who is put in charge of bank security, or a serial liar who is asked to devise an honor code.

ARLINGTON, VA -- Democrats think they have found their deliverer. He is the new governor of Virginia, Timothy Kaine. So confident are they that Mr. Kaine can lead them to the electoral promised land, they have tapped him to deliver their party's response to President Bush's State of the Union speech. Given the threats posed by foreign and domestic terrorists, Democrats risk exposing Mr. Kaine as an inexperienced lightweight who is not in the president's league of knowledge and experience.

ARLINGTON, Va. - The just concluded "lame-duck" session of Congress should have been labeled the "goose that laid the golden egg" session for the federal goodies it dispensed. Sen. Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, told me he is pleased that Congress has reduced the "rate of the increase in spending." Is this why we have a Republican congressional majority, so that they can increase spending less than Democrats? While it is true that the massive $388 billion spending bill reduces spending increases for some things, such as education and the environment, there is still too much pork for healthy fiscal living.

ARLINGTON, Va. -- The House last week narrowly passed a $2.4 trillion budget resolution, setting the stage for a confrontation with the Senate over proposed curbs on further tax cuts. What should be the issue is not how much of our money Congress will allow us to keep, but how much of our money we will allow Congress to spend. Instead of debating curbs on tax cuts, members of Congress should impose spending curbs on themselves. Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) will release its annual Pig Book next week.

Raising taxes would only hurt state economy It's no surprise that The Sun suggests raising taxes in order to cover the budget shortfall. But why can't we start by cutting unnecessary government waste ("Structured solution," editorial, Nov. 2)? Why shouldn't Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. request a top-to-bottom review of all state agencies to determine what waste can be eliminated before introducing new taxes? And don't tell me that there is no government waste, because as any Sun reader knows, the state just got finished building luxurious $400,000 townhomes for public housing residents in Annapolis ("Annapolis housing development to open doors to residents today," Nov. 3)

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Conventional wisdom, as promoted by most in the media, says it will be virtually impossible for Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger to fix California's huge deficit. The implication is that every dollar spent is essential and cutting any of it will result in death and destruction. Not exactly. Citizens Against Government Waste (www.cagw.org), in association with the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Foundation, has produced the 2003 California Piglet Book, which details billions of dollars in misspent funds, the elimination of which -- along with an improving economy -- could wipe out the state's deficit, reform government and put California back in the black.

ARLINGTON, Va. -- The Bush administration has announced the federal government is in the hole again after four years of "surpluses." The government will run a deficit of about $165 billion this year, which the administration blames on costs related to the war on terrorism and a steep decline in revenue from capital gains taxes and other receipts linked to the volatile stock market. There is another cause of the deficit the administration is reluctant to mention. It is outrageous, unwarranted, self-serving congressional spending.

WASHINGTON -- Just before Bill Clinton was to go on national television Aug. 17 and admit to the world that he had been untruthful about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky, Sen. Dale Bumpers, a fellow Arkansas Democrat, considered calling the president to offer some advice.He didn't. But after the speech was widely criticized for being too defiant and lacking sufficient contrition, he wished he had.Today, Bumpers has a second chance to come to the president's rescue.The 73-year-old country lawyer-turned-lawmaker -- who retired from the Senate last year after 24 years in the elite club -- has been tapped by the White House defense team to make the closing arguments on behalf of the president at the Senate impeachment trial.

IN RESPONSE to many queries, "How Do I Find a Good Broker?" some suggestions: "To find a good broker, ask friends and people you trust for recommendations. Find out why they value someone. If their reasons match your concerns, meet with the person to find out if he or she is compatible with you."Tell him/her everything necessary to understand your financial picture -- including other accounts, etc." ("Money: 127 Answers to Your Financial Questions," by Steven Camp, $12.95.)AND NOW THIS: In addition to the above, I suggest you prepare -- and ask -- a list of questions, such as these, some from "Selecting a Qualified Financial Planning Professional" booklet:"What is your investment philosophy?

For a preview of how difficult it will be to reduce waste in government spending, consider a consultant's proposal calling for competitive bidding of Carroll County's school bus routes.Even though the current political mantra is that government should be run more like a business, non-economic considerations often prevent government agencies from realizing business-like efficiencies that would reduce costs.As part of a performance audit of Carroll's education system, KPMG Peat Marwick, the national accounting firm, recommended awarding school bus contracts through competitive bidding.