$484,000 Pizzeria

A private company was given $484,000 by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to build a Mellow Mushroom pizzeria in Arlington, TX.

$300,000 Dance Program

The National Science Foundation devoted $300,000 to developing a dance program to illustrate the origins of matter.

Amtrak Lost $800M On Cheeseburgers And Soda

Taxpayers lost $833 million over the last decade on the food and beverages supplied by Amtrak, which managed to spend $1.70 for every dollar that received in revenue.

“Over the last ten years, these losses have amounted to a staggering $833.8 million,” said Rep.John Mica, R-Fla., in a statement previewing a House hearing today.  “It costs passengers $9.50 to buy a cheeseburger on Amtrak, but the cost to taxpayers is $16.15.  Riders pay $2.00 for a Pepsi, but each of these sodas costs the U.S. Treasury $3.40.”

IRS Pays Out Billions in Fraudulent Refunds

The IRS is paying out billions of dollars in fraudulent tax refunds to identity thieves; a problem that the tax service’s inspector general told CNBC is a “growing problem” involving numbers that are increasing “exponentially.” Click here for complete article.

Michigan Trees

The U.S. government spent $74,000 last year to help the state of Michigan "increase awareness about the role Michigan plays in the production of trees and poinsettias." Michigan's $40 million Christmas tree industry already ranks third in the nation.

Snow Cone Machines

The Department of Homeland Security used $6,279 to purchase Snow Cone ice-making machines for emergency services in Michigan.

Hawaiian Chocolate Festival

The federal government gave the Hawaii Department of Agriculture $50,000 to help pay for the 2nd Annual Hawaiian Chocolate Festival. The goal is to "highlight the culinary talents and products specifically linked to Hawaii's chocolate industry."

Hookah Smoking in Jordan

The National Institute of Health, also a repeat offender, spent $55,382 to study hookah smoking in Jordan.

$100,000 Video Game Grant

 A grant for $100,000 went to help the Massachusetts video game industry.

Social Media

Another National Science Foundation grant for $198,000 paid for a University of California-Riverside study of "motivations, expectations and goal pursuit in social media." Among the questions the study seeks to answer: "Do unhappy people spend more time on Twitter or Facebook?"

Promiscuous Quail

The National Institute of Health gave the University of Kentucky $176,000 to determine if Japanese quail are more likely to have sex when high on cocaine. The study is scheduled to last through 2015.

$300,000 NSF Study

The National Science Foundation provided $300,000 to study the effectiveness of leaders of the European Parliament.

$200 Million Wasted In Iraqi Police Training

A U.S. government watchdog says more than $200 million was wasted on a program to train the Iraqi police force, with security concerns and a lack of interest by the Iraqi government the main culprits for the program's shortcomings. Click here for full report.

Cowboy Poetry

It's hard to recall John Wayne reciting verse in any of the many Westerns he made, but cowboy poetry is a big enough phenomenon to have its own annual celebration. And this year taxpayers helped pay for it courtesy of a $50,000 contribution from the U.S. government.

Dragon Robots for Preschoolers

The National Science Foundation spent $131,000 on robot dragons designed to mimic human responses to help teach preschoolers language skills. Apparently interaction with real humans was deemed inadequate.