March 14, 2006 | By Nathaniel Ward

Taxpayers want Congress to cut waste

The overwhelming majority of taxpayers surveyed by The Heritage Foundation believes that Congress is behaving irresponsibly with their tax dollars and that our elected leaders should adopt firm measures to reign in the waste.

Taxpayers surveyed expressed support for common-sense fiscal reforms like eliminating excess spending, abolishing wasteful pork projects, slashing corporate welfare and cutting duplicative programs.

Survey results

1. The number of pork projects in the federal budget skyrocketed from under 2,000 five years ago to 10,656 in the 2004 budget, bankrolling everything from local swimming pools to potato storage research.  Cost to taxpayers:  almost $23 billion.  Does this level of spending meet your definition of fiscal responsibility?

1.0       Yes                 
99.0     No                  

2. Members of Congress are allowed to insert pork projects into the federal budget anonymously, so there’s little accountability for this spending.  And Congress often approves this spending by “voice vote,” so no lawmakers have to go on the record for frivolous projects.  Does this secrecy meet your definition of fiscal responsibility?

1.0       Yes                 
99.0     No                  

3. Thanks to pork projects and Big Government budgets, the federal government spent more than $22,000 per household in 2005.  That’s the highest inflation-adjusted total since World War II – and $5,000 per household more than Washington spent just four years ago.  Does this level of spending meet your definition of fiscal responsibility?

1.0       Yes                 
98.0     No                  
1.0       Undecided                 

4. To finance their spending hikes, Congress is piling up enormous deficits.  In 2004, the budget deficit soared to $413 billion – the largest since World War II.  The Congressional Budget Office has projected a budget deficit of $1.6 trillion over the coming years.  Do you believe huge deficits are fiscally responsible?

7.0       Yes
92.0     No
1.0       Undecided
                                                                       
5. Are you concerned that this wasteful government spending threatens our ability to reform and modernize truly important programs such as Social Security and Medicare?

96.0     Yes                 
3.0       No                  
1.0       Undecided

6. In 2003, Congress earmarked $6.1 million for research on how to use wood.  Since 1985, taxpayers have forked over $73 million for this research.  Do you approve of this use of your tax dollars?

0.0      Yes
98.0     No
2.0       Undecided

7. The 2003 budget approved by Congress includes $4.2 million for research on shrimp.  Since 1985, taxpayers have funded $57 million worth of this research.  Do you approve of this use of your tax dollars?

1.0       Yes
96.5     No
2.5       Undecided

8. The Heritage Foundation’s Center for Data Analysis has determined that trimming just $21 billion of fat out of the federal budget this year – that’s just 1% of the federal budget – would save taxpayers an estimated $2,500 per household over the next decade.  Do you believe Congress should take action today to find and eliminate excess federal spending?

99.0     Yes
1.0       No

9. The Heritage Foundation is working with Congress and in the news media to highlight specific proposals for stopping the waste of your tax dollars, and to target specific pork projects that should be eliminated.  Do you support this constructive approach to curbing government waste and abuse?

98.0     Yes     
1.0       No
1.0       Undecided

10. Heritage is educating Congress on the need to end taxpayer-funded corporate welfare that subsidizes CEOs and large corporations at the expense of families, seniors and workers.  Eliminating corporate welfare would save taxpayers some $80 billion each year.  Does this plan meet your definition of fiscal responsibility?

89.9     Yes     
8.5       No
1.5       Undecided

11. Heritage is alerting Congress to the costly repetition in the federal budget, which right now features 342 separate economic development programs, 130 programs serving the disabled and 130 programs targeting at-risk youth.  The Heritage plan to consolidate these programs would save taxpayers billions and do a better job of solving the problems these programs are supposed to address.  Does such a plan meet your definition of fiscal responsibility?

93.0     Yes
3.0       No
4.0       Undecided

Nathaniel Ward is the Editor of MyHeritage.org—a website for members and supporters of The Heritage Foundation.