A new Gallup Poll of 1017 American adults conducted September 8 to 11, 2011 found: "Americans estimate that the federal government wastes 51 cents of every dollar it spends, a new high in a Gallup trend question first asked in 1979. The current estimate of 51 cents wasted on the dollar is similar to what Gallup measured in 2009, but marks the first time Americans believe more than half of federal spending is wasted. The low point in the trend is 38 cents wasted on the dollar, in 1986."
Link via Conn Carroll's Morning Examiner email.
The most recent striking example of government waste comes from the Justice Department, which reportedly spent $16.80 per muffin and $8.24 per cup of coffee. The Washington Post explains, "Officials from one Justice office said they thought they were saving money by serving muffins and other snacks instead of full meals."