The F-35 is the most advanced fighter jet in the world and IMO it's pretty awesome that we build shit like this. However, tax payers have been paying for the development of a un-needed "second" engine for this jet.
The military didn't want it, and they said it wasn't needed but that didn't stop General Electric and Rolls Royce from creating a new company to specifically develop a second engine mostly using tax payer money to fund the project. (3 billion in tax payers money)
They only decided to stop working on it when Obama refused to fund the program and said if it was still in the 2012 defense authorization bill he would veto it. The companies decided it wasn't going to be profitable for them to "self fund" the engine if it was no longer mostly paid for by tax payer dollars.
This is just 1 program.. who knows how many more are out there..
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/zombie...0#.TtqGnrL0tW8
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/joint-...7#.TtqI6LL0tW8
This engine program went on since the Bush admin whom claimed they also opposed it but never stopped the funding as Obama has. Meanwhile we have congress members whom don't want to support stuff people actually need and want to cut things like medicare & social services.
When you GOP fan boys start crying about govt spending instead of tax cuts then start looking for shit like this if you want to appear somewhat credible. If you want govt spending cuts then start opposing ridiculous contracts and subsidies to big business, rather than trying to cut funding from actual tax payers.