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POGO’s experts push policymakers to enact commonsense reforms that tackle waste, corruption, and abuse of power; hold those who’ve violated the public trust accountable; protect our constitutional rights; and make the government work for all people.
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Analysis
SIGTARP Reports That Bailout Accomplishments Came at a Great Cost
A new report released today by the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP) offers compelling evidence that the government’s bailout programs helped bring the economy back from the brink of collapse.
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Analysis
GAO Gives Treasury Its One-Year TARP Checkup
Nearly one year to the day since the Treasury Department announced its first purchase of $250 billion in financial firms’ preferred stock under the Capital Purchase Program (CPP), the GAO has issued a comprehensive report on the ever-evolving Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).
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Analysis
BlackRock to the Rescue (Again)
The Wall Street Journal reported this morning that BlackRock is in the running for a new contract to help state insurance regulators perform risk analysis on insurers’ investments, prompting Agnes Crane at Reuters to ask: “Is BlackRock going to rule the world?”
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Analysis
Public-Private Partnerships Are Set to Begin, but Will the Public Really Benefit?
The controversial Public-Private Investment Program (PPIP)—in which the government is partnering with private investors to purchase the toxic loans and securities that are clogging up the balance sheets of many financial firms—is finally ready to begin.
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AnalysisRecombinant Vaccine for Pandemic Flu: Why Is It Not in Large‑scale Production?
An unusual, thoroughly tested, safe and effective type of vaccine - a recombinant vaccine - can be produced much more quickly than the customary vaccines. But faulty government planning in past years delayed the production of this vaccine.
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AnalysisNeed for Greater Transparency in the Government’s Vaccine Program for Pandemic Flu
In this commentary, we discussed only two of the areas in need of full disclosure: recombinant vaccine as a superior but delayed alternative to the customary vaccines, and U.S. dependence on foreign sources of vaccine.
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Analysis
Recombinant Vaccine for Pandemic Flu: Why Is It Not in Large‑scale Production?
An unusual, thoroughly tested, safe and effective type of vaccine - a recombinant vaccine - can be produced much more quickly than the customary vaccines. But faulty government planning in past years delayed the production of this vaccine.
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AnalysisCommentary: Flu Vaccine Shortage: Why Did It Happen? How Can It Be Overcome?
As the influenza pandemic spreads, manufacturers and federal agencies are racing to produce vaccine for novel H1N1 swine flu. Within a week or so, small amounts of vaccine will become available for vaccinating certain groups, according to the director of the CDC in testimony o...
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Analysis
TARP Turns One Year Old, but Still Experiencing Growing Pains
The one-year anniversaries of the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the passage of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act have provoked a good deal of soul-searching and reflection on the state of the economy and the effectiveness of the government’s massive bailout programs.
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Analysis
The Defense Contract Auditing Agency As the Whipping Boy
POGO concerned that the DCAA is trapped in a corner.
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Analysis
Stimulus Funds Vulnerable to Pay-to-Play Contracting
A POGO investigation has found that many state and local governments with laws limiting contractors’ campaign contributions (meant to reduce the influence of private interests in the public contracting process) are facing obstacles to enforcing these “pay-to-play” laws on stim...
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Analysis
Whistle-Blower Protections for All Federal Workers
At great personal risk, whistleblowers from the US Embassy Kabul have recently come forward to expose shocking security and ethical lapses. One of them has already been forced out of his job, and several others are suffering retaliation for their role in exposing the scandal. ...