10 Federal Programs That Failed Miserably
10. The Department of Agriculture
Tracing its roots to 1862 when President Abraham Lincoln established the first independent Department of Agriculture, the current Department is tasked with assuring food safety, meeting the needs of America’s farmers and ranchers, promoting agricultural trade and production, protecting natural resources, and ending hunger in the United States and internationally. In addition to helping farmers and other food producers with the sale of their products in both domestic and international markets, the department also provides benefits to more than 40 million poor and/or homeless Americans to keep them fed every month. While our food supply is relatively safe, it hard to believe that food producers would be in the business of wantonly killing their customers and it’s nearly impossible to believe that 40 million Americans not being able to feed themselves is anything but a failure. All for the bargain basement price of more than $132 billion in fiscal 2011.
The very best of intentions, from caring for old folks and former soldiers, to ensuring the nation enjoys clean air and water, when viewed with a critical eye, do not equal success. When shortfalls by any of the above listed programs or agencies are pointed out, the inevitable “fix” is more money and expanded bureaucracies to “solve” problems created or exacerbated by those very same bureaucracies. Aside from paving Roads to Hell, good intentions are generally worthless.
