July 23, 2010 2:21PM 

# 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 Obama [economic strategy](http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/obamas-batteries) is reminiscent of Kevin Costner’s character in the movie *Field of Dreams*: “Subsidize it and they will come.”
- In the past decade, [federal spending per household](http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/federal-spending-per-household) has gone through the roof.
- Former Senate majority leader [Trent Lott says that the Republican leadership should “co-opt” new senators](http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/co-opting-anti-spenders) who want to cut government spending. This is the same guy who, prior to the 2006 elections, privately advised Republican senators to scare voters into keeping them in the majority.
- Greece’s Hellenic Railways and our [Amtrak](http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/greek-rail-and-amtrak) have a lot in common. That’s not a good thing.

##### Related Tags 

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

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