Bosse Targets Political Slush Fund

“50 Days, 50 Ways” Approaches $7 Billion in Savings

(Berlin) Hillsboro Republican Grant Bosse today called for the elimination of a Congressionally-supported slush fund that allows local politicians to pass out federal taxpayer dollars. Created in 1981 as an anti-poverty program, the Community Services Block Grant Program now serves as a way for Congress to hand out over half a billion dollars a year to local politicians and supporters, who can then take credit for “bringing home the bacon” in their districts.

“Many valuable projects have received funding through this program over the years, and many people have received help,” Bosse said. “But the price is too high. We can no longer support a corrupt system designed for politicians to buy our votes.”

CSBG projects are not competitively granted, recipients are not required to meet any performance or eligibility standards, and the program has failed to provide any evidence that it actually helps to alleviate poverty. Bosse would require a competitive grants process for anti-poverty programs, which would require them to demonstrate their effectiveness. Bosse would insist that Congressional funding be open and accountable. CSBG costs taxpayers $654 million a year.

“We should concentrate our resources where they’ve been shown to do some good, like Temporary Assistance to Needy Families and Food Stamps,” Bosse concluded. “This program may be popular, but it has more to do with buying votes than it does with fighting poverty.”

To date, Bosse has proposed just under $7 billion is specific cuts to federal spending, and he plans to offer a new program to eliminate every day until the September 9th Republican Primary. To learn more about Bosse’s aggressive grassroots campaign, go to www.Bosse2008.com.