Yesterday, a coalition of non-profit organizations representing a diverse range of political opinions released a report that shows how Congress can cut almost $400 billion in wasteful spending. Nothing new, right? I mean, there's no shortage of opinions on what to cut these days.
What makes this list interesting is that nearly all of the subsidies and tax breaks listed in this report actually have negative environmental impacts. Whether it's a subsidy to an oil company or an incentive to grow commodity crops where they shouldn't be grown, our government routinely incentivizes the destruction of our environment. From GreenScissors.com:
The Green Scissors report finds cuts in energy, agriculture, transportation, and land and water projects. Targets include massive giveaways of publicly-owned resources such as timber, oil and natural gas and minerals, poorly conceived road projects and a bevy of questionable Army Corps of Engineers water projects.
As highlighted in the report, the federal government could end the following programs and save the United States:
- $72,000,000,000 for general revenue transfers to the Highway Trust Fund,
- $30,000,000,000 for crop insurance, and
- $4, 820,000,000 for Oil and Gas Royalty relief.
Seems to me the first step in the budget cutting process should be to look very closely at these harmful subsidies.
But don't take my word for it. Click here to read the report and decide for yourself. And if you agree with me, perhaps send a note to your local Super Committee member and tell him/her that they should take a look, too.
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