April 30, 2010 4:02PM 

# This Week in Government Failure 

By [Tad DeHaven](https://www.cato.org/people/tad-dehaven) 

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Over at [Downsizing Government](http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/), we focused on the following issues this week:

- The only way to get rid of the [fraud and abuse at HUD](http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/fha-chases-its-tail) is to dismantle it and get the federal government out of the housing business altogether.
- Instead of wasting more taxpayer money on a nationwide system of intercity rail that doesn’t make economic sense, [Amtrak should be privatized](http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/amtrak-delays).
- Fox News’ [Glenn Beck Show](http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/downsizing-glenn-beck) recently spent a week featuring Chris Edwards and the Downsizing Government website.
- The president’s [fiscal reform commission](http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/cheap-talk-a-fiscal-commissioner) started off with some breathtaking chutzpah from Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad.
- The Obama administration says it’s planning a [rural “renaissance.”](http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/obama-plans-rural-renaissance) That’s wonderful news considering what an awesome job HUD has done with urban America.

##### Related Tags 

[Government and Politics](https://www.cato.org/government-politics), [Tax and Budget Policy](https://www.cato.org/tax-budget-policy) 

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