What is the Air Force's Space Fence? And why will it cost $2B for an upgrade?

In 1961 the Air Force created a Space Fence that tracks objects in space and is used to protect spaceships and satellites from being struck by "high-speed orbital debris". The Space Fence — also known by its formal name, the Air Force Space Surveillance System — consists of three transmitters and six receivers that stretch across the southern U.S., using radio waves to paint a picture of a slice of space. The items it detected ranged from satellites and debris to meteors. As the article explains, this debris could cripple satellites and cause damage as much as what was reflected in last year's movie Gravity. Since then the only time the space fence was shut down was in September 2013 during the budget cuts. The space fence is 40% of the network's tracking system, and has not come back online since September. A C-band radar was relocated to keep track of the area the space fence covered, but that is only a band-aid. "The U.S. military also uses the data to offer a close approach warning service for owner-operators of the more than 1,000 active satellites in orbit," Brian Weeden of the Secure World Foundation writes. "In 2012, satellite operators conducted 75 maneuvers to avoid potential collisions as a result of those warnings." This year the Air Force budget includes a new and improved space fence for approximately $2B. Why so much? The current space fence could track approximately 23,000 items in space. The new system has expanded its S-Band radar to track 480,000 items in space. The new space fence is expected to be operational in 2017, but due to the delays in award, it may not be operational until 2018.

Taxpayers, please bend over...again! Farm Bill 2014!!

Congress, in its infinite wisdom, has decided to create a 2014 Farm Bill that is much larger ($956B), than the veto'd 2008 Farm Bill worth $640B, over 10 years (or revised every 5 years as proposed). Taxpayers will pay big farmers more subsidies since they suffer so much...increased profit?? Farmers can process insurance claims under this new bill if their crops produce poor yields or declines in revenue. Why are food stamps and farming combined in a bill? It is all political, so that the bill can be passed faster, says Senator Thad Cochran (R–MS). How will food stamp recipients be tested and weaned off of this program? There will be no drug tests or work requirements for food stamp recipients. Don't worry, those requirements were removed from the 2008 Farm Bill. They can also have any amount of money in their bank accounts as long as they meet the minimum annual salary amounts based on the new bypass asset tests. Huh? How are taxpayers going to pay for all of this? Interesting tidbit: "Net farm income is expected to reach “a remarkable $128.2 billion this year – the highest level since 1973,” making the aforementioned farm programs all but insanity. The “farm” bill means more expenses for taxpayers and higher costs for consumers. It means more unnecessary government dependence for wealthy farmers and food stamp recipients."

If U.S. agriculture is doing so well, why subsidize the farmers? Time to eliminate the USDA?

The Cato Institute included the USDA in its "Downsize the Federal Government" series. The USDA was established in 1862 when we needed to have a federal agency help organize our agricultural industry. Nowadays the agriculture industry is as active as most other industries in the US, it is surviving and thriving. Begs the question of why increase government spending to cover the USDA? What are the taxpayers paying for? How about $20B in farm subsidies, $110B in food subsidies, $5M for oversight/administration, and over $1B of loss due to fraud and abuse. Because the USDA is involved in price regulating, they also set the prices on US farmed items, such as sugar, which is two times more expensive in the US than elsewhere. What if we eliminated the USDA? Cato proposes a cost savings of $140B! Not bad.

If you are bored, or curious...new Federal apps for your phone.

It must be because we are all coming back from the holidays that I thought this article was interesting. In any case, there are a few good apps worthy of downloading from the Federal government. If you are interested, the link is here. I have not tried to use any of the apps. Might pace myself and try them out tomorrow!