The tip for this week’s Wednesday #Waste story comes from @bob_weeks via our mobile app. Give it a try! bnkrpt.am/10sPdfZ

— Bankrupting America (@BankruptingAm) May 15, 2013

BOND: I hope not. I hope they don’t get any more air. They are the Taliban wing of american politics. We all ought to be a little worried about them.

ROBERTS: Sir, do you think that’s a little harsh, calling them the Taliban wing of American politics?

BOND: Not at all. The truth may hurt, but it’s the truth.

The public is welcome and encouraged to attend Wichita Pachyderm Club meetings. Meetings are held almost every Friday in the Wichita Petroleum Club on the top floor of the Bank of America Building at 100 N. Broadway. The program starts at noon, and it is suggested that guests arrive by 11:45 am in order to get their lunch before the program starts. The meeting costs $10, which includes a delicious buffet lunch and beverage. For more information click on Wichita Pachyderm Club.

For background, see Ambassador Hotel Industrial Revenue Bonds: The City of Wichita should not approve a measure that is not needed, that does not conform to the city’s policy (based on relevant information not disclosed to citizens), and which is steeped in cronyism.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Unfortunately, you’ve grown up hearing voices that incessantly warn of government as nothing more than some separate, sinister entity that’s at the root of all our problems. Some of these same voices also do their best to gum up the works. They’ll warn that tyranny always lurking just around the corner. You should reject these voices. Because what they suggest is that our brave, and creative, and unique experiment in self-rule is somehow just a sham with which we can’t be trusted.

We have never been a people who place all our faith in government to solve our problems. We shouldn’t want to. But we don’t think the government is the source of all our problems, either. Because we understand that this democracy is ours. And as citizens, we understand that it’s not about what America can do for us, it’s about what can be done by us, together, through the hard and frustrating but absolutely necessary work of self-government. And class of 2013, you have to be involved in that process.

From NetRightDaily, a project of Americans for Limited Government.

I think I’m most troubled by the city seemingly not concerned about the lease payments or the water bill. I’ll be surprised if NBC is ever able to pay these debts.

An internal audit of the city-owned National Baseball Congress’ books shows its operators are more than a quarter-million dollars in debt and two years in arrears to the city on lease payments for Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. …

As a result of the audit, city officials have put in place a series of financial requirements, Layton said Monday, including a demand that the Wingnuts pay off a $138,000 debt to the city — $66,000 in back lease payments for 2011 and 2012, along with a delinquent $72,000 water bill — by Nov. 1.

Continue reading at City audit of National Baseball Congress ’ books reveals quarter-million-dollar debt, delinquent payments.

From Americans for Limited Government:

ALG demands congressional investigation into IRS targeting of tea party

May 13, 2013, Fairfax, VA — Americans for Limited Government President Nathan Mehrens today issued the following statement urging Congress to investigate the Internal Revenue Service’s admission that it was targeting groups for audits on the basis of their tea party affiliation:

“The use of the nation’s tax agency to target groups for audit and review on the basis of political leanings is an egregious abuse of power. This is beyond Nixonian in its flagrant disregard for the rule of law as it was intended to stifle dissent, and now there must be accountability. We know the Democrat-controlled Senate will not be bothered to inquire what happened, but the House of Representatives can and should use its power to subpoena witnesses to get to the bottom of this scandal. Our laws either apply equally to all citizens and citizen groups regardless of political leanings, or we have become nothing more than a banana republic.”

Original article is ALG demands congressional investigation into IRS targeting of tea party.

“Milton Friedman said the true cost of government is what we spend, not what we tax. We ultimately have to pay for this,” says Jonathan Bydlak, president of the Coalition to Reduce Spending and former director of fundraising for Ron Paul’s 2008 presidential campaign. “If we’re not paying for it now, we’ll pay for it tomorrow.”

The non-partisan coalition encourages politicians to sign a pledge agreeing to consider all spending open for reduction, including defense and entitlements. Politicians who sign the pledge also promise to vote against any spending increase unless it’s offset by spending cuts. Thirty-nine candidates for federal office have already signed the pledge; among them are Ted Cruz (R-Fla), Mark Sanford (R-S.C.), and Doug Collins (R-Ga.).

Bydlak sat down with Reason’s Nick Gillespie to discuss the group, the growing problem of government spending, and which big ticket items should be cut.

For more, see Coalition to Reduce Spending.