September 16, 2011 3:32PM 

# This Week in Government Failure 

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

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

- [Federal Davis-Bacon rules](http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/davis-bacon-rules-damage-dc) could increase the price tag for Washington D.C.‘s CityCenter development by $20 million.
- The [U.S. Postal Service](http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/postal-service-running-fumes) is running on fumes. What will Congress do?
- The [President’s jobs bill](http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/jobs-bill-only-makes-political-sense) would do nothing for education and would hurt the economy.
- The Budget Control Act will likely produce either a [minuscule defense cut](http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/make-believe-defense-cuts) in the near term or no cuts at all.
- As the political circus over the [Solyndra loan](http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/solyndra-another-energy-boondoggle) unfolds, let’s not lose sight of the fact that the more important question is whether taxpayers should be forced to subsidize energy companies to begin with. They shouldn’t.

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##### Related Tags 

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

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