-What is our government REALLY spending money on?-

Article: On Government Spending

Author:  Demosthenes

Date of article: October 10, 2013

Website: Teen Ink

                The bias of this article is criticizing government spending which is understandable in a country with less than 5% congress approval rate. It’s quite clear that this country’s people are very unhappy with their government and spending is, and has always been, a huge subject of disagreement. This problem is probably the biggest issue in our government with people on both sides arguing where it is best to spend this borrowed money. With the national debt growing larger every minute, this issue is like a tick bomb to the government’s downfall.

                This article explores the wide range of issues that the government spends the taxpayer’s money. Although this article is quite opinionated, it brings light to some vital points that, as taxpayers, we need to know. It begins by stating “Government spending includes spending taxpayer money on social security, defense programs, education, public safety, and many more realistic social needs. However, the government, even wealthier as it entered the 21st century, has began to spend its money on random and irrelevant things, some that completely have nothing to do with healing our broken economy, protecting our citizens, and improving life and education in the cities.” With that aside, the author dives into the criticism stating that “much of the taxpayer dollars go to the government to waste on various idiotic things.”

Now, I understand that people disagree on government spending but I was surprised when the author went as far as to say the government spends money on “idiotic things”, but I read further and we can all agree our government pays for “some things that are vital for the human populace in America. Things, like education, safety, military and defense, Social Security, welfare, unemployment insurance, disability payments, etc. These are important for the people that live in America, important for the safety of America, and important to uphold the legacy of America. Our defense is especially crucial because of the protection of another 9/11. Our education is critical to raise new wonders that will solve the problems of the modern world. Public safety deals with things in the neighborhood. These things are all very important.” Yes so what are these “idiotic things?” I did some research.
                I found that about $3 million was given to the University of California at Irvine to allow students to play World of Warcraft. Apparently, the goal of this “video-game research” is to allow students to study how “emerging forms of communication, including multiplayer computer games and online virtual worlds such as World of Warcraft and Second Life can help organizations collaborate and compete more effectively in the global marketplace.” I was dumbfounded by these findings. I fail to see the connection between World of Warcraft and the global marketplace, I’m sorry that might just be me.
                In 2006, $1 million dollars was given to zoos in New Orleans, Little Rock, Chicago, and Milwaukee zoos to create “poetry”, which supposedly is supposed to make the public aware of environmental issues. Almost $500,000 was spent to study the behavior of male prostitutes in faraway Vietnam. The government spent $2.5 million dollars on a commercial during the Super Bowl that was apparently “horrendous.” A little more than $800,000 was given to various sources around America to create and promote video games. And the list goes on!

This type of under-the-rug spending needs to be brought to light. The tax payers need to know where their government is spending their hard earned money. Maybe if the government was more truthful and smart about its spending, maybe we wouldn’t be in the sticky situation we are in now.