Convention of States
What do dinosaur-themed bus lines, treadmill-walking monkeys, and shrimp fight clubs have in common?
American taxpayers paid for each of them last year to a tune of $36 million, $1 million, and $700,000, respectively. And the justification for this wasteful spending just made matters worse.
The researchers at Duke University conducted the “shrimp fight club” with funds from National Science Foundation and assured the American people that the results of their study could have “military applications.”
Reason Magazine was dubious. They reported:
$706,800 of your hard-earned money has been granted by the National Science Foundation for Duke University to conduct a so-called “shrimp fight club,” where shrimp are pitted against each other so that researchers can “observe the punching power of mantis shrimp, which engage in ritualized fighting with powerful hammer-like claws.”
So, the next time the shrimp launch a land invasion, they’ll be ready? Arizona Senator Jeff Flake to state the obvious. “I don’t see the utility in this.”
Watch him discuss this on Fox below:
A number of federal officials have drawn attention to the waste, fraud, and abuse within the federal government. Senator Tom Coburn is probably the best example. But their efforts have proved largely ineffective — the fact is that most Senators and Congressmen can’t resist the unlimited spending our federal laws allow.
That’s why an Article V Convention of States is so necessary. A Convention of States can propose a complete package of constitutional amendments that force Congress to be fiscally responsible. If they’re required to balanced the budget every year without raising taxes, there’s a good chance they’ll take a hard look at how the National Science Foundation is spending our money. Shrimp fight clubs aren’t the only area of wasteful spending, but they’re a good place to start.
Want to call a Convention of States? Sign the petition!
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