Future Retirement Success
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks

Future Retirement Success

Investing

Spending Madness Quarterfinals

by April 2, 2024
April 2, 2024
Spending Madness Quarterfinals

Chris Edwards

There are eight federal programs remaining in Spending Madness 2024. These are high‐​priority spending cuts for Congress to consider, according to our crowdsourced tournament results so far.

Please vote today in the quarterfinals, and then we’ll move to the next round on April 4.

The failures of the eight remaining programs are summarized when you click the pictures here. One common failing of government programs is stagnancy. While market economies are always adapting and improving, the bureaucratic government falls behind. Outdated programs linger for decades consuming taxpayer resources and undermining the economy.

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting was launched in the 1960s but adds little value in today’s expansive media environment where vast educational content is available on YouTube. Even more outdated are farm subsidies, which were launched in the 1930s when many farmers were poor. Today, farmers are much wealthier than other people, and farm subsidies mainly go to large corporate‐​style operations.

And there is public housing. What do you notice in these photos (below) of a project in Alexandria, Virginia? When you walk around it, you see that all 13 buildings are the same, and they are unchanged in the seven decades since the government opened them in 1947. It apparently never occurred to the government managers to plant any trees, bushes, or flowers.

Because people in public housing are not owners, no one has put in bay windows, added an addition, painted their homes, built a deck, or made any other normal improvement. I wonder where tenants are even allowed to plant anything.

Government programs and policies tend to be stagnant and uniform. Many programs have outlived any usefulness their original supporters envisioned. Congress should end subsidies for activities—such as housing, broadcasting, and farming—that markets can tackle with diverse and innovative approaches.

Background. The photos are the Samuel Madden Homes built in an area called The Hump. The construction was part of Big Government “slum clearing” efforts in the mid‐​20 century, which used eminent domain and federal dollars. As one history notes, Alexandria “began a program of ‘slum’ clearance in 1939 and two years later condemned and demolished homes in two mixed‐​race neighborhoods, The Berg and The Hump, sending Black residents into substandard, segregated public housing.” The Samuel Madden Homes are finally being redeveloped after 77 years, and hopefully some lessons have been learned.

0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
The CFPB’s Overdraft and NSF Mess
next post
What does the budget mean for the ever-evolving world of corporate real estate?

You may also like

Cutting Farm Subsidies

August 10, 2023

Government Reform: DOGE + E

November 21, 2024

Trump Administration Purges at FBI Spark Revolt Among...

February 3, 2025

What Would Consumer-Regulated Electricity Look Like?

August 9, 2024

Call for Papers: Cato Health Policy Workshop 2025

April 23, 2025

Trump’s 2020 Stolen Election Claims Are Wrong on...

September 16, 2024

Congress Should Reverse its $196 Billion Social Security...

February 10, 2025

8.3 Million Relatives of U.S. Citizens & Legal Residents...

May 17, 2023

New Cato Study Confirms Fed Cannot Control Inflation

November 6, 2023

A New Heritage “Backgrounder” Addresses the Mix of...

May 14, 2024

Cutting Farm Subsidies

August 10, 2023

Government Reform: DOGE + E

November 21, 2024

Trump Administration Purges at FBI Spark Revolt Among...

February 3, 2025

What Would Consumer-Regulated Electricity Look Like?

August 9, 2024

Call for Papers: Cato Health Policy Workshop 2025

April 23, 2025

Trump’s 2020 Stolen Election Claims Are Wrong on...

September 16, 2024

Congress Should Reverse its $196 Billion Social Security...

February 10, 2025

8.3 Million Relatives of U.S. Citizens & Legal Residents...

May 17, 2023

New Cato Study Confirms Fed Cannot Control Inflation

November 6, 2023

A New Heritage “Backgrounder” Addresses the Mix of...

May 14, 2024

    Get free access to all of the retirement secrets and income strategies from our experts! or Join The Exclusive Subscription Today And Get the Premium Articles Acess for Free

    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Recent Posts

    • PPE Medpro delivers final blow in DHSC trial, calling case ‘buyer’s remorse’ and evidence ‘non-existent’

      July 10, 2025
    • Royal Mail to scrap Saturday second-class deliveries in major overhaul

      July 10, 2025
    • GreenGeeks vs InMotion: Comparing Speed, Uptime, and Support

      July 10, 2025
    • Trump taps Sean Duffy to serve as interim NASA chief

      July 10, 2025
    • Rapidrop secures multi-million pound investment from BGF to fire up international expansion

      July 10, 2025
    • Watchdog backs Rubio’s sanctions on UN official over ‘shameful efforts’ targeting US, Israel

      July 10, 2025

    Categories

    • Business (8,433)
    • Investing (2,112)
    • Politics (15,988)
    • Stocks (3,197)
    • About us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: futureretirementsuccess.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 futureretirementsuccess.com | All Rights Reserved