Reducing Federal Spending

Last night President Bush called for reducing wasteful government spending. I read CNN's "Pulling Pork Can Be Unappetizing" this morning and learned of quite a few "secret pet projects" Congress has approved for funding.

$39M - National Drug Intelligence Center in PA.
There are 19 other agencies doing the same
work as the NDIC.

$2.4B - 10 C-17 Air Force cargo planes.
The USAF has asked for two more planes
before shutting down the production line.
Seven Congressmen have asked for the
additional 10 to built in their districts.

There are 63 museums listed in the 2008 spending bill ranging from a mule museum ($50k) to an internet only museum ($600k).

I can understand some of the airport ones, with the exception of the corporate runway in a rural Wisconsin town ($2M) and one in Alaska to be used by a seafood company ($3.5M).

There's also a request for a $500k Alaskan ski lift renovation project, $95k upgrade to a Florida hotel, and $500k for Rep Lewis (R-CA) for Barracks Row in DC.

I have some additional input. Does the government need to give taxpayers a tax rebate? Wean the American people off of Social Security. The Post Office should be privatized. And if we are going to have a universal health care, let states or regions manage them instead of the federal government.

Privatize the education system and allow states provide oversight or move it to the state level and have the fed monitor standards. I am unaware of the percent of an individual's (or couple's) federal taxes goes towards the Dept. of Ed. I am slightly biased as I do not have children and I do not pay state taxes, if the states were to manage it.