FLASHREPORT

The Cato Institute, a non-partisan think tank, recently launched an ambitious project aimed at educating both policymakers and the general public about how the federal government is spending our money. They warn that the enormous budget deficits and gross overspending occurring in Washington right now are setting us - and future generations - up for even more financial turmoil, massive tax hikes and a reduced standard of living.

At Downsizinggovernment.org, Cato's scholars will provide not only an agency-by-agency breakdown of how much is spent and where, but specific areas where the federal government is failing taxpayers, where reform is needed, and where cuts should be made. 

It's a worthy effort, much like the way Senate Republicans have consistently advocated for greater transparency in how taxpayer dollars are spent and called for reductions to California's over-bloated and inefficient bureacracies.