May 7, 2010 2:37PM 

# 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 U.S. Postal Service’s “[automation refugees](http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/the-uspss-automation-refugees).”
- [Earmarks](http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/earmarks-vs-bureaucrats-both-wasteful): Just because the federal bureaucracy does an abysmal job of spending taxpayer money, it doesn’t mean lawmakers would do any better.
- Ground hasn’t been broken for California’s [high-speed rail](http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/californias-high-speed-rail-boondoggle) system, but it’s already a boondoggle.
- Hop aboard the [Liberty Bus](http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/the-liberty-bus-tour)!
- Al Capone would have loved [Medicare](http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/gangster-care).

##### Related Tags 

[Tax and Budget Policy](https://www.cato.org/tax-budget-policy) 

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