Daily Outrage

WHO: National Science Foundation WHAT: It gave a grant to Notre Dame electrical engineering professor Oliver M. Collins, from which he allegedly spent $190,000 on at least seven digital cameras, surveillance cameras, lenses, and an oversize printer. The university says he took the equipment home...

WHO: Justice Department's Weed and Seed Initiative WHAT: After President Obama proposed eliminating this neighborhood watch-style program in places like Lehigh Acres, Fla., in his fiscal 2011 budget, the Justice Department announced that there would be a 20 percent reduction in competitive...

WHO: U.S. Department of Agriculture WHAT: USDA gave NEDAK Ethanol LLC of Atkinson, Neb., $300,000 to help buy "inventory" necessary for the continuous operation of the company's ethanol plant. WHY IT'S AN OUTRAGE: Ethanol is already heavily subsidized. If producers can't keep these plants...

WHO: Ohio Department of Development, Office of Community Services WHAT: ODOD approved changes in the use of $1.1 million in stimulus funds by the Mahoning-Youngstown Community Action Program received from the federal government last year. WHY IT'S AN OUTRAGE: Remember when Vice President Joe...

WHO: The National Science Foundation WHAT: University of Minnesota master's student Alexander Maki was recently awarded a graduate fellowship from the NSF to "investigate the motivations for getting involved in volunteer causes and ways to keep volunteers actively involved in doing what they...

WHO: The Milwaukee County Housing Division WHAT: A recent audit found that the Housing Division overpaid by $328,000 the landlords of local families receiving rental assistance. WHY IT'S AN OUTRAGE: The waiting list for rental assistance is nearly 5,000 families long. The funds squandered...

WHO: The Massachusetts Department of Transportation WHAT: Used federal stimulus funds to build an exit ramp off Route 24. WHY IT'S AN OUTRAGE: The ramp will be built to direct traffic to a casino being built by the Mashpee Wampanoag in Fall River, Mass., which is (according to Mayor Will...

WHO: East St. Louis School District 189 WHAT: Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., has all but begged Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to conduct an official investigation of this school district, one of the poorest in his state, regarding its use of Title I funds. WHY IT'S AN OUTRAGE: The district...

WHO: General Services Administration WHAT: GSA provided $80.5 million in stimulus funds to the IRS for an office-building renovation in Andover, Mass. WHY IT'S AN OUTRAGE: Renovations will include a new reflecting pool, art gallery, and indoor gardens. Also, the office is designed to house 2,000...

WHO: U.S. Postal Service WHAT: Due to a decrease in mail volume, USPS attempted to cut costs by eliminating drivers. But because of an agreement with their union, some drivers couldn't be fired, transferred or demoted for at least five days. So they spent a full week making $20.58-$26.34 per hour...

WHO: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. WHAT: Pelosi recently moved her office into the new "green" San Francisco federal building, explaining she needed more space. WHY IT'S AN OUTRAGE: The move quadrupled her rent to $18,736 a month, making hers the most expensive congressional district...

WHO: National Park Service WHAT: Spent $265,000 on a matching grant for the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum in North Tonawanda, N.Y. WHY IT'S AN OUTRAGE: Even as states close parks in order to fix budget deficits, the feds seem to think they have a blank check to spend away. That includes...

WHO: Internal Revenue Service WHAT: People who purchased a home between 2008 and 2010 were eligible for a First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit or an interest-free loan. WHY IT'S AN OUTRAGE: The treasury inspector general for tax administration found numerous examples of fraud because of the IRS' lax...

Who: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services What: Awarded $679,136 in taxpayer stimulus money to the Lincoln Police Department which didn't actually qualify for it, while the Grand Island Police Department didn't receive the $576,528 for which it was qualified. Why it's an outrage: The...

WHO: The National Science Foundation WHAT: Mont Hubbard and Ron Hess, professors in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of California at Davis, have been awarded a two-year, $300,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. WHY IT'S AN OUTRAGE: The grant...

WHO: U.S. Department of Education WHAT: Gave Title III and Title V to Morgan State University WHY IT'S AN OUTRAGE: The U.S. Government Accountability Office recently released a study examining universities' use of federal grants. According to this study, Morgan State misused more than $105,000...

WHO: Bernalillo, N.M., Public Schools WHAT: Between 2006 and 2009, the district spent $25,000 of federal Title III education funds, which are specifically earmarked for American Indian students. WHY IT'S AN OUTRAGE: The New Mexico state auditor listed the school district as "high risk" after it...