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118567788
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JGR/Citizens Against Government Waste
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118567788
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document
title
JGR/Citizens Against Government Waste
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485
collections
Records of the Office of Counsel to the President (Reagan Administration)
John Roberts' Subject Files
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118567788
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1986-12-31
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1986
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1982-01-01
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1982
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Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
Digital Library Collections
This is a PDF of a folder from our textual collections.
Collection: Roberts, John G.: Files
Folder Title: JGR/Citizens Against
Government Waste
Box: 9
To see more digitized collections visit:
https://reaganlibrary.gov/archives/digital-library
To see all Ronald Reagan Presidential Library inventories visit:
https://reaganlibrary.gov/document-collection
Contact a reference archivist at: [email protected]
Citation Guidelines: https://reaganlibrary.gov/citing
National Archives Catalogue: https://catalog.archives.gov/
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A report to the American people about
waste and inefficiency in the federal government.
WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE
processing equipment. The private sec-
HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH.
tor takes less than half that time.
Abraham Lincoln said, "The legitimate
The Government spends an average
object of the government is to do for the
of $3.5 million a day on our inland
people what needs to be done, but
waterways. The corpora-
which they cannot by individual
tions and businesses that
effort do at all, or do SO well for
use these waterways pay
themselves."
only $100,000 a day-the taxpayers
The Government's 1986
recover 3¢ on each dollar the Gov-
budget is almost $1
ernment spends.
trillion, or about
$4,200 for every
In 1984, the Government paid
man, woman, and
child in the United
$435.00
$117 million to wool producers, while
the total value of the wool produced
States. What we're
was only $62 million.
spending that money
Because of year-end personnel
on provides an indica-
limits to control the number of federal
tion of just how far we've
employees, agencies may "fire" some
come from Lincoln's con-
Complicated procurement
policies are one reason
employees for one day at year-end,
our government pays $435
cept of legitimate govern-
for a hammer.
then "rehire" them the next day. In
mental objectives. For example:
this way, each agency complies with
Procurement regulations in a single
its personnel ceiling-millions of dol-
government agency now total more
lars in unnecessary costs to American
than 30,000 pages. This over-regula-
taxpayers.
tion goes a long way toward explaining
Between the ages of 30 and 50,
purchases of $435 hammers, $659
federal civilian employees are 50%
ashtrays, $640 toilet seats and $7,400
more likely to retire with disability
coffee makers.
than are private-sector employees.
Most federally funded mass-transit
Incoming passengers and cargo
systems cost between $50 million and
are inspected by as many as six fed-
$100 million per mile to build. This
eral agencies. Consolidating overlap-
compares to the San Diego transit
ping functions of these agencies
system-constructed without federal
would save $48 million over three
assistance-which cost only $6 million
years.
per mile.
Federal specifications for a "rodent
The Government requires up to four
elimination device" (a mousetrap to us
years to order and install automated data-
taxpayers) ran to 102,000 words-about
200 single-spaced pages. Less costly to
economy, competition, and the effi-
live with the mouse than build a mouse-
ciencies it creates, doesn't matter-politi
trap following Government specifications.
cians decide how to allocate those re-
The preceding is merely a small
sources, not the free-market factors of
sampling of specific ways the federal
supply and demand.
dollar is spent. All of us must decide for
The cost of political, rather than
ourselves whether these examples and
market, allocation of resources has been
the thousands of other projects funded
made abundantly clear to all of us.
with our tax dollars are, in fact, legitimate
Almost daily, the media report horror
stories of excessive and wasteful federal
governmental objectives.
To make this crucial decision how-
spending, of programs that no longer
ever, we must first become informed
meet their objectives and of federal
excesses that make us wonder if the
about our Government's activities.
Government is really doing only that
KNOWLEDGE IS FUNDAMENTAL
"which we cannot by individual effort do
TO ANY INTELLIGENT DECISION.
at all, or do SO well for ourselves."
For too long, we have been kept in the
These stories aren't new. The General
dark about federal spending and its
Accounting Office, the Congressional
impact. We can no longer afford to be
Budget Office, and many other analysts
complacent.
both within and outside Government
We'll be spending more for govern-
have been reporting them for years.
ment in 1986 than we did in total for all
PUBLIC PRESSURE CAN WORK.
the years through 1954. We'll be spend-
ing about $32,000 a second-millions of
Far too frequently, these reports of Gov-
dollars will be spent by the time you
ernment waste and inefficiency were largely
finish reading this pamphlet. And "we'll
ignored, and little or nothing was done to
be spending" is the key phrase to re-
remedy the problems they identified.
member, because that one trillion dollars
In some cases, in response to media-
is coming out of our pockets, whether the
generated public pressure, corrective
Government taxes us now to meet cur-
actions were taken, as, for example, the
rent expenses or taxes us later to pay off
price reductions on the military's in-
its borrowing-one way or another, we,
famous purchase of $640 toilet seats and
our children or our grandchildren are
$659 ashtrays. Unfortunately, awareness
going to pay for that trillion dollars.
doesn't always result in action. Then, too,
The Government is now deciding how
for every story reported by the media,
hundreds of others never reach the
to allocate almost one quarter of all the
goods and services produced in the
public's attention-spare-parts over-charges
United States. For one quarter of our
didn't happen overnight; they've been
around for years. And even those stories
which are reported inevitably omit an
conservatives, all united to make Govern-
essential piece of information-what you
ment more efficient and less costly.
can do about it.
We are committed to a public educa-
CAGW-A NEW COALITION.
tion program to fully inform you, the
American taxpayer, about how your
In June 1982, President Reagan com-
Government-your elected representa-
missioned the President's Private Sector
tives-are spending your money. We're
Survey on Cost Control (PPSS).
going to encourage you to demand
The survey's charge was to identify
what is rightfully yours-an efficient and
waste and inefficiency in the federal gov-
fiscally responsible system of federal
ernment and to suggest ways to correct
government.
practices which cause it to occur. Over
We intend to distribute and publicize
2,000 private-sector volunteers worked
information on Government waste and
on the survey, and after 18 months, they
inefficiency and on ideas and oppor-
produced almost 2,500 ideas for reducing
tunities for savings from all sources-the
federal waste, inefficiency and over-
Congressional Budget Office, The
spending and increasing revenues with-
General Accounting Office, Inspectors
out increasing taxes.
General in federal agencies, the media,
While PPSS was unique in terms of the
independent agencies, federal employ-
size and scope of its review, it was not
ees, and private citizens.
unique in its findings and recommenda-
We will ensure that you, the taxpayers
tions. The Government itself, through the
and voters of this nation, have a clear
General Accounting Office and other
idea of what underlies the Federal
agencies, has found and proposed solu-
Budget debates and what the short- and
tions to long-standing problems-yet rela-
long-term impacts may be for you and
tively little has ever been done.
your children. We will provide you with
We-Citizens Against Government Waste
facts, not emotional hyperbole, and let
(CAGW)-want to make sure something
you decide.
is done to implement the thousands of
We hope you will decide to join
good ideas which undoubtedly will be
CAGW. Just call the toll-free number
proposed in the future, and in many
listed below to find out how you can help.
cases these cost-saving ideas will come
from you, the taxpayer.
CITIZENS AGAINST
WORKING TOWARD MAKING
GOVERNMENT WASTE
GOVERNMENT MORE EFFICIENT
AND LESS COSTLY.
1-800-USA-DEBT
1511 K Street, N.W., Suite 540, Washington, D.C. 20005, 202-628-6428
CAGW is totally nonpartisan-it includes
Democrats and Republicans, liberals and
CITIZENS AGAINST
GOVERNMENT WASTE
1-800-USA-DEBT
1511 K Street, N.W., Suite 540, Washington, D.C. 20005, 202-628-6428
ONE OF THE LARGEST
ONE OF THE
LARGEST FEDERAL
FEDERAL DEPOSITORIES
DEPOSITORIES
FUNDED BY YOUR
FUND HD) BY
TAX DOLLARS.
YOUR TAX DOLLARS.
Waste in government. Every
year it consumes over $30 billion
of your tax money.
For more information about
how your tax dollars are being
mismanaged and what you can
do about it, call 1-800-USA-
DEBT, or write us at 1511 K
Street, N.W., Suite 540, Wash-
For more information on how your
ington, D.C. 20005.
tax dollars are being mismanaged, call
Our country can't afford
Ad
1-800-USA-DEBT, or write us at 1511 K
this. And neither can you.
Council
Street, N.W., Suite 540, Washing-
ton, D.C. 20005.
Ad
Council
Name
Name
Address
Address
City
State
Zip
City
State
Zip
CITIZENS AGAINST
GOVERNMENT WASTE
CITIZENS AGAINST
GOVERNMENT WASTE
1-800-USA-DEBT
1-800-USA-DEBT
CITIZENS AGAINST GOVERNMENT WASTE CAMPAIGN
CITIZENS AGAINST GOVERNMENT
MAGAZINE AD NO. CAGW-1994-85-45% X 5" (110 Screen)
CM-12-85
WASTE CAMPAIGN
MAGAZINE AD NO. CAGW-1998-85
21/4" X 5" (110 Screen)
CM-12-85