An Editorial From the Journal
Base10 came across an interesting editorial in the WSJ today. (Alas, subscription required. Why, oh why, do editorialists think that they can charge for other to read their opinions?) Noting that federal programs never seem to die, and the remarkable amount of govenment waste, WSJ editheads support a bill sponsored by Republicans to sunset federal programs:

Ronald Reagan used to quip that the closest thing to immortality in this life is a government program. We'd add one modern caveat, which is that under Beltway budget rules tax cuts automatically expire after five or 10 years, but spending programs and tax increases live forever.

The latter would change, however, if a group of House Republicans led by Texan Jeb Henserling and Mike Pence of Indiana succeed in pushing new rules to sunset out-of-date federal programs. Under their proposal that has been promised a vote this summer, Congress would have to reauthorize agency budgets every five years, or they would die. The legislation would also create a sunset commission to recommend program terminations, and Congress would vote up or down on the package. This procedure is modeled after the successful military base closing commissions.

It's a good idea. I'm surprised that this isn't getting more media play.
- posted by Base10 @ 10:04 AM