Bankrupting America: There’s an app for that

If you spot government waste and you have an iPhone, you can make a difference. There’s now an app for that.

Bankrupting America is, according to its website, “an educational project that explores the policies hindering economic opportunity and growth in America. The project focuses on the causes of the country’s current economic downturn and the future implications of careless policy-making.” It’s produced many informative videos and infographics, many which I’ve shared here or on Quick Takes.

Now, Bankrupting America has a free app for your iPhone. Besides providing a convenient way to read Bankrupting America’s content and view videos, it’s also a way to report government waste. That’s what I did last week.

Readers in Wichita may be aware that the city may not open the “Waltzing Waters” fountain this year, citing the water shortage. This compounds the waste of the purchase of the fountain and the building of its stage with its non-use.

Using my iPhone to submit a tip concerning government waste to Bankrupting America.

So when I was near downtown Wichita I used the Bankrupting America app to take a picture and submit my tip. It was easy to do, and resulted in this article on Bankrupting America. Note that the editors at BA took my tip as just that — a starting point. They then did their own research to write the article.

Initiatives like this are helpful in keeping a watchful eye on government spending and waste. The city will freely and liberally spend taxpayer funds promoting the goodness of the Waltzing Waters and everything else City Hall does. Local newspapers, television, and radio may report on waste, but this legacy media can’t report on everything that needs highlighting. Citizens like yourself can now step up and fill in the gap.

The resulting article at Bankrupting America.