10 Outrageous Examples of Government Waste

$80 million on Iron Man suit $80 million on Iron Man suit

The DoD is pouring millions into a wearable weapon it calls the Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit (TALOS) otherwise known as the “Iron Man” suit. Some scientists think that someone at the Pentagon has been watching too many movies.

Marvel Studios

Billions on bad bullets? Billions on bad bullets?

The Defense Department purchased $16 billion worth of ammunition that it didn’t actually need. Some of the ammo is either too old to use or actually banned by international treaties. Now, the agency says it must destroy it--and estimates that will cost about $1 billion.

Flickr/Richard Robertson

Pork for sheep Pork for sheep

A few members of Congress have fought to keep a sheep grazing station open and operating at a cost of $2 million a year. The USDA doesn't need it--and neither does the sheep.

Flickr/David Hunt

$1.1 million lost by rocket scientists $1.1 million lost by rocket scientists

The federal agency that put a man on the moon, can’t seem to figure out how to keep tabs on the $1.1 million worth of smart phones and tablets that it lets its employees and contractors use. And many of the devices distributed to NASA workers aren’t even being used

Warner Bros. Pictures/The Fiscal Times

Disney Hits the Jackpot on Government’s Treasure Island Disney Hits the Jackpot on Government’s Treasure Island

Through the Small Business Administration’s Surety Bond Guarantee Program, Disney’s Polynesian Resort received $455,684 in guarantees from the government for a construction company to build a skylight system in one of the resorts buildings. It also received nearly $1 million for other “rehab” work around the resort, where rooms cost a minimum of $429 per night.

Wikimedia Commons

$50,000 on Alpaca Poop Paks $50,000 on Alpaca Poop Paks

The U.S. Department of Agriculture doled out $50,000 to Virginia Mary’s Alpaca, LLC to develop and market Alpaca poop as fertilizer for plants. With the help of your tax dollars, the company sells its “Poop Paks” in “colorful, unmistakable green bags.”

Flickr/BreenJones

$638,910 on sending coal to military bases in Germany $638,910 on sending coal to military bases in Germany

A decades-old earmark requires the Air Force to use American anthracite coal to heat its military bases in Germany. The law has yet to be changed and taxpayers are left with an expensive and unnecessary tab.

REUTERS/Rick Bowmer/Pool

$124.3 million on fake or fraudulent background checks $124.3 million on fake or fraudulent background checks

The U.S. paid $124.3 million this year to the contractor that provided security clearances for Edward Snowden. The Department of Justice last spring accused the contractor of submitting more than 665,000 fake background investigations. As a result they may have allowed thousands of ineligible people to obtain security clearance.

REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

$100,000+ for Coast Guard as private beach patrol $100,000+ for Coast Guard as private beach patrol

Though the U.S. Coast Guard has been slapped with budget cuts, its sometimes being used to provide free patrols in “some of the country’s most exclusive real estate” to prevent people from crashing private parties.

Flickr/Airwolfhound

$52,000 on rebuilding a bridge to use American steel $52,000 on rebuilding a bridge to use American steel

A small Colorado town received a federal grant to build a new bridge. But the bridge was constructed with Canadian steal and violated the “Buy America” provision of the grant. Now it’s going to get ripped down.

REUTERS