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Your Tax Dollars at Work?

Aired November 05, 2003 - 15:03   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: This next story could make your blood boil, especially if you care about where your tax dollars go.
CNN's Lisa Sylvester came up with some prize-winning examples of some rather extravagant government spending.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the new $20 bill. It looks almost like the old 20, yet the federal government is spending $32 million taxpayer dollars to advertise the new currency. Another $21 million is slated to promote the new $50 and $100 bills.

More than 200,000 taxpayer dollars paid for this peanut festival in Alabama last weekend. More than $1 billion for agricultural marketing -- money that goes to trade groups such as the Watermelon Promotion Board. And $600,000 to rent a blimp for three months to fly over college football games and fairs to advertise Medicare's new toll-free number.

TOM SCHATZ, CITIZENS AGAINST GOVERNMENT WASTE: There's enough hot air in Washington already, we don't need to be spending $600,000 on a blimp to promote Medicare.

SYLVESTER: The spending critics call frivolous comes at a time of record deficits. Federal government spending per household is at the highest level since World War II, according to the Heritage Foundation. And it's not just defense spending on the rise. Heritage says non-defense spending is more than 16 percent of gross domestic product, a near-record high.

REP. MARK FOLEY (R), FLORIDA: We're hoping Congress can go on somewhat of a fiscal diet and start trimming their sales and stop spending so much money.

SYLVESTER: But it's hard to cut back when government agencies get attached to pet projects, like that $600,000 blimp. Medicare's administrator says it's necessary.

TOM SCULLY, CMS ADMINISTRATOR: Consumers are starved for information, and they get less information in health care than any other part of our society. And we're determined to turn that around.

SYLVESTER: That may be true, but then again this quirky project may just be taking taxpayers for a ride.

Lisa Sylvester, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.






Aired November 5, 2003 - 15:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: This next story could make your blood boil, especially if you care about where your tax dollars go.
CNN's Lisa Sylvester came up with some prize-winning examples of some rather extravagant government spending.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the new $20 bill. It looks almost like the old 20, yet the federal government is spending $32 million taxpayer dollars to advertise the new currency. Another $21 million is slated to promote the new $50 and $100 bills.

More than 200,000 taxpayer dollars paid for this peanut festival in Alabama last weekend. More than $1 billion for agricultural marketing -- money that goes to trade groups such as the Watermelon Promotion Board. And $600,000 to rent a blimp for three months to fly over college football games and fairs to advertise Medicare's new toll-free number.

TOM SCHATZ, CITIZENS AGAINST GOVERNMENT WASTE: There's enough hot air in Washington already, we don't need to be spending $600,000 on a blimp to promote Medicare.

SYLVESTER: The spending critics call frivolous comes at a time of record deficits. Federal government spending per household is at the highest level since World War II, according to the Heritage Foundation. And it's not just defense spending on the rise. Heritage says non-defense spending is more than 16 percent of gross domestic product, a near-record high.

REP. MARK FOLEY (R), FLORIDA: We're hoping Congress can go on somewhat of a fiscal diet and start trimming their sales and stop spending so much money.

SYLVESTER: But it's hard to cut back when government agencies get attached to pet projects, like that $600,000 blimp. Medicare's administrator says it's necessary.

TOM SCULLY, CMS ADMINISTRATOR: Consumers are starved for information, and they get less information in health care than any other part of our society. And we're determined to turn that around.

SYLVESTER: That may be true, but then again this quirky project may just be taking taxpayers for a ride.

Lisa Sylvester, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.