8 Ridiculous Ways That The Government Wasted Your Money

Individuals and business owners around the country regularly make an effort to reduce spending, pay off debts, and save. But the federal government continuously fails to do the same.

The U.S. national debt is currently $17.2 trillion and growing.

Despite this, the federal government continues to waste your hard-earned tax dollars on programs like the ones below — whether you like it or not.

As 2013 comes to a close, it’s time to take a look at some of the most ridiculous examples of government spending over the past few years.

Let’s hope the feds can reign in the spending next year! (I won’t hold my breath.)

$1 million annually to develop a “Mar’s Menu.”

There is no government plan or budget to colonize Mars, but $1 million is spent each year developing a “Mars menu”. It is an effort to come up with food humans could one day eat on the planet. Ya know, just in case.

$516,000 to make a video game that simulates a high school prom.

The National Science Foundation used a half-million dollar grant to create a Facebook game that simulates social interactions associated with prom week.

$2.2 million to study “why lesbians are obese.”

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded the money to study the biological and social factors that cause a large number of lesbians to be obese. According to NIH three-quarters of lesbians are obese even though gay males are not — they call it an issue of “high public-health significance.”

$593,000 to study why monkeys throw their feces. 

 Federal funding was given to a primate research center to find out what triggers a monkey to throw their own feces.

$325,000 to develop a robot squirrel.

Taxpayers footed the bill for San Diego State Univeristy to develop “robo-squirrel.” Despite heavy criticism, the school defends the endeavor because it helped to educate 34 students. Only $9,558 per student — what a bargain!

$30,000 to measure “gaydar.”

This “groundbreaking” study conducted by the University of Washington and Cornell University measured people’s ability to determine whether or not individuals are gay.

$376 million to lavishly renovate President Obama’s office. 

While Obama’s office was being renovated earlier this year, a second office was built for him to use during the construction. The entire renovation cost $376 million.

$350,000 to help golfers improve their putts.

It took the feds $350,000 to figure out that golfers who imagine the hole is bigger have higher accuracy.

These are just a few of the many ways the government wastes our money on a daily basis. Surely, there are individuals who can find merit in some of these programs — but is it really the role of the federal government to be funding such endeavors with tax money?

Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

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