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And how about the Federal government? Well, unsurprisingly, it managed to keep spending money we dont have on things we dont need, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) says in the 2021 Festivus Report on Government Waste, an annual compilation of how the federal government wastes taxpayer money on often absurd programs.

So how much did our esteemed representatives and senators waste this year? A whopping $52,598,515,585 in government waste, according to the Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight (ETSO) Subcommittee for the Homeland Security, of which Paul is chair.

Paul said, with an average taxpayer bill of about $15,332, the federal government has wasted the taxes of 3,430,636 people.

That is roughly the population of Los Angeles, California; Chicago, Illinois; or 50.74 times the size of Senator Pauls hometown of Bowling Green, KY, according to the report.

And what could possibly cost $52 billion?

Well, there was $11.3 million spent by USAID to advertise to the people of Vietnam to stop burning their trash, Congress giving the Wilson Center which throws swanky parties for members of congress $14 million, and over $465,000 granted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to Reed College of Portland, Oregon, to create a token-based economy where pigeons are taught to gamble with slot machines.

Yes, now national security is dependent on the ability of pigeons, the rats of the sky, to be able to listen to Dean Martin and lose it all in Vegas. Aint that a Kick in the Head?

What else?

Well, there was $40,316,270,000 wasted on COVID-19, including $4.29 billion in bad loans out of the Paycheck Protection Program, about $36 billion in wasted unemployment insurance payments, and $1.27 million in COVID relief funds for students who actually werent enrolled in a Baltimore school.

Other waste included more than $8 billion, including $250 million to build border walls in the Middle East and North Africa, $179 million for the State Department to fund green energy programs in Africa, and $200,000 to teach France about U.S. culture.

Additionally, the FAA was named for spending $57,000 on a study of the physical measurements of 432 airline stewardesses, Paul said during a speech on the senate floor. These included the distance from knee-to-knee while sitting and the length of the buttocks... This was your government money put to good use.

During the same speech Paul noted how NIH spent $800,000 in taxpayer dollars to assess the risky sex habits of Japanese quail while high on cocaine.

...money to study whether Japanese quail are more sexually promiscuous on cocaine, Paul noted. You think, we could have just polled the audience? You think we could have just said, What do you think? Because thats sort of the answer. The answer is yes.

All this at a time when the inflation rate is the highest it has been in decades, and businesses struggle to find enough employees.

Maybe Grandpa Joe should have reigned in this wasteful spending? Then he would have had more than $52 billion that could have gone to infrastructure.

This leaves the question, does the majority of Congress know how to balance a check book?

Probably not.

This is why Congress is the opposite of Progress.

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Studying Pigeons on Cocaine... - The Glasgow Courier - Glasgow Courier

Azher Khan| Indianapolis Star

The Small Business Administration (SBA) rescued hundreds and thousands of small businesses like mine and millions of employees by timely distributing PPP loans. My heart is heavy for the tremendous loss of life inflicted by the pandemic, but we survived as a nation.

We are not out of the woods yet, and the economy is still vulnerable, evidenced by the inflation and supply-chain issues we are facing. Again, issues that disproportionately affect small businesses.

In this backdrop, I am deeply concerned by the hold-up in confirming Dilawar Syed, President Biden's nominee for Small Business Adminstration (SBA) deputy administrator.

He is uniquely qualified to help lead SBA as it continues to deliver aid to small businesses. Syed brings 20 years of experience leading companies that are driving major impact across the technology, healthcare, and business services sectors.

As a business owner and a taxpayer, it's painful to see an eminently qualified public servant and an entrepreneur like Syed stalled by Senate Republicans. Syed should be have been confirmed six months ago. Instead, he has yet to receive a vote in the committee.

Syed'snomination is currently held-up in the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship as the Republican members have continued their months-long blockade by impeding a quorum.

One of the Republicans on this committee is our very own Sen.Todd Young. Whereas Sen. Young and I disagree on politics and policy, I have the utmost respect for him as a Hoosier political leader.

He boycotted Syed's vote on five occasions, led by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), whose state is right now devastated bytornadoes where businesses likely could use the help of someone like Syed.

A Julytweet by the Senate Small Business Committee, said it would notallow a vote until "the SBA takes action to recover the wrongfully acquired PPP funds by Planned Parenthood entities."

More: Rand Paul, a 'stalwart defender' of religious freedom, sets the record straight | Opinion

It appears they are holding up a qualified candidate for political gain.

If confirmed, Syed would become the highest-ranking Muslim in the Biden administration. There are insinuations that his nomination is being blocked because of religious prejudice.

Eight Republican committee members last year raisedconcerns about Syed's involvment in EmgageAction, which they describeas "vocally" anti-Israel.Syed wasamember of the poltical action commmittee, which, according to its website, seeks to "promote just policy guided by our faith and reflective of our Muslim American identity."

Yet, Syed is supported by Jewish organizations, including the American Jewish Committee.

Referring to the lack of valid concerns raised on Syed's nomination, Sen.Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland) recently said on Twitter, "This has the stench of religious bigotry".

I refuse to believe that a religious test could be used as a weapon to disqualify a qualified nominee at this point in our nation's history. Syed hasbuilt a stellar record as a civic leader and advocate for entrepreneurs in minority, rural, and other underserved communitiesa vital asset for SBA in the years ahead as the agency invests in the entrepreneurial ecosystems in those communities.

Syed's nomination is backed by more than 230 civic, government, higher education, and business leaders and organization, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Black Chambers, the Small Business Investor Alliance, and Small Business Roundtable.

I urge Sen.Young to show up for the next committee meeting. Vote your conscience, but at least be present soSyed's nomination can proceed for a full Senate vote. Small businesses and America need you to stand up for the American way and show up.

Azher Khan is chairman of Calderon Textiles in Indianapolis. Helives in Zionsville.

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Op-Ed: There's a qualified candidate for the SBA. Why won't Sen. Young show up and vote? - IndyStar

Austin American-Statesman

Re: Jan. 3 article, "Abbottasks feds for more testing sites, treatments"

So, after doing everything in his power to work against the efforts of President Biden, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,and any other federal entity that is trying to mitigate and control the COVID variants, now Gov.Abbott is asking for more testing sites and monoclonal antibodies.

He is against the federal government until he needs them after his own efforts have increased the health emergencies in Texas. His hypocrisy seems to know no bounds.

Elizabeth Boyt, Austin

A major plot element of "Spider-Man: No Way Home,"which is top of the box office right now, is the multiverse. In reading the news as of late, I am beginning to wonder if we have somehow been transported into another political reality.

In a tweet, Sen. Rand Paul has accused Democrats of stealing elections by encouraging people to vote in a legally valid way, and during his remarks at a Turning Points USA conference Donald Trump Jr. repudiateda major tenet of Christianity by rejecting Christs decree to turn the other cheek.

The Democrats have purloined the presidency by following the rules? The party associated with the conservative Christian vote is now renouncing the teaching of the man who founded the very religion? The irrationality of these arguments is strikingly bizarre, but it is incomprehensible that the GOP has fallen in lockstep with such demagogical leadership.

Mark Hinshaw, Austin

Why is it that we are allowing the unvaccinated to overwhelm our health care facilities and staff?

I just read an article about a man in Iowa who died because he was unable to get a room in the hospital best suited to provide the care he needed. According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, nearly 82% of people hospitalized in Iowa for COVID-19 were not fully vaccinated, including 88% of those in intensive care.Granted, this is but a single instance, but I'll eat my hat if there aren't many more similar stories of sadness.

In my view, folks who refuse the vaccine should be denied scarce health care resources. They made their own decision, and should be prideful when they beat the virus at home, by themselves.

TimMurphy, Austin

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Letters to the Editor: Abbott is against them until he needs them - Austin American-Statesman

THORN:Representing Himself

Kentucky Republican Floor Leader Sen. Damon Thayer doesnt care if you, or any other Kentuckian, want medical marijuana legalized. In a KET interview, the Georgetown lawmaker said he doesnt support it, even though he knows his constituents do. If they dont like it they can take it out on me in the next election, he said. Kentucky lawmakers know they can keep getting reelected if they have a bit of power and an R in front of their name. Mitch McConnells been doing it for years. Maybe its time to show them that they cant. Of course, Thayer isnt up for reelection until 2024. Perhaps thats why hes feeling so bold.

The Louisville Democratic Party has chosen their nominee to run for Rep. Reginald Meeks state House seat as the longtime lawmaker prepares to retire. And their selection was refreshing. Keturah Herron is a former ACLU lobbyist who pushed for Louisville and Kentucky to ban no-knock warrants. Shed also be the first openly LGBTQ House member in Kentuckys history. Of course, shes not the only promising candidate: Robert LeVertis Bell, a democratic socialist and public school teacher says he will also be on the ballot for the special election in February. But, were looking forward to choosing between at least two candidates who could represent Louisville well.

Louisville closed out another blood-soaked year with a record-breaking 188 homicides in 2021. And the crime wave does not show signs of stopping. The shooting that resulted in the first homicide of 2022 occurred on New Years Day. Perhaps Louisvilles greatest hope of stemming the tide of violence is stricter gun laws. But, the Kentucky legislature only seems interested in making it easier for people to get their hands on firearms in the current legislative session. (See this weeks news story.)

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul announced that he will no longer be posting to YouTube unless its to criticize the platform, which has suspended him in the past for spreading COVID misinformation. Instead, hell be taking his rantings to the echo chambers of conservative social media sites. Now, if only hed give up Twitter.

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Thorns & Roses: Kentucky Sen. Damon Thayer Is Only Representing Himself When It Comes To Medical Marijuana - Louisville Eccentric Observer

By U.S. Sen. Dr. Rand PaulR-KentuckyWASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), chairman of the Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight (ETSO) Subcommittee for the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), has released his 2021 Festivus Report, totaling over $52,598,515,585 billion in government waste.

This marks Dr. Pauls and the subcommittees seventh edition of the Festivus Report as he continues working to alert the American people to how their federal government uses their hard-earned money.

How can 2021 already be coming to a close? What a year its been. It seems like just yesterday when the national debt was $20 trillion, but now the U.S. has managed to breeze past $28 trillion. And, its safe to say that some big changes have occurred since last years Festivus Report.

Mask mandates, travel restrictions and lock-downs were lifted across many parts of the country. President Biden was inaugurated. Inflation has skyrocketed. The Kardashians finally ended their TV show after 14 years. Dad bod was officially added to Websters Dictionary.

And how about the federal government? Well, unsurprisingly, it managed to keep spending money we dont have on things we dont need.

Readers of the Platinum Pig Awards may recall my Penny Plan Balanced Budget. Only a few years ago, we could have balanced the budget by cutting only one penny off every dollar spent by the Federal government now, we need to cut five.

2021 began with Congress spending even more money and approving a $3.5 trillion Budget Resolution. I attempted to lessen the blow by introducing a series of 48 amendments, including my Five Penny Plan, which unfortunately did not pass.

The speed in which our debt is growing means we need ever more vigorous solutions to solve this growing problem.

Youd almost think the governments annual New Year Resolution is to spend moreand more money. Well, it is. Meanwhile, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projectsmore than $1.2 trillion in deficits for Fiscal Year 2022.

In fact, CBO states Congress spent $6.8 trillion in Fiscal Year 2021, $266 billion more than FY2020. Why continue to recklessly spend taxpayers money when debt held by the public is already at 103% of GDP?

This year, I am highlighting a whopping $52,598,515,585 of waste, including a studyof pigeons gambling on slot machines, giving kids junk food and telling citizens of Vietnamnot to burn their trash.

No matter how much moneys already been wasted, politicians keep demanding even more. But dont worry, I will continue to fight against government waste.

So, before we get to the Feats of Strength, its time for my airing of (spending) grievances.

Sections are broken down into COVID-19 spending, Afghanistan, and Miscellaneous.

You can find Dr. Pauls 2021 Festivus Report at https://www.paul.senate.gov/sites/default/files/page-attachments/Festivus%20Report%202021_0.pdf.

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Sen. Rand Paul releases 'Festivus' Report on government waste - The Highland County Press