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  • Why Government Audits Miss Most Fraud

    Why Government Audits Miss Most Fraud
    2026/06/09
    Episode 40 of Government Spending with Fexingo dives into the hidden world of improper payments. Lucas and Luna break down the annual $200-plus billion problem in US federal spending — from Medicaid overpayments to unemployment insurance fraud. They explore the structural reasons audits miss the bulk of errors, the role of outdated systems, and why simply throwing more auditors at the problem won't fix it. A concrete case: the 2023 Payment Integrity scorecard showing over $236 billion in improper payments, with recovery audit contractors clawing back only a fraction. The episode closes with a look at data-matching reforms that could change the game. No abstract theory — just the numbers, the loopholes, and what real reform would cost. #ImproperPayments #GovernmentAudit #MedicaidFraud #PaymentIntegrity #UnemploymentInsurance #FraudWasteAbuse #FederalBudget #USGovernment #AuditCulture #DataMatching #RAC #GovernmentSpending #Economics #PublicFinance #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #LucasAndLuna #GovernmentEfficiency Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    8 分
  • Why Government R&D Funding Creates Job Multipliers

    Why Government R&D Funding Creates Job Multipliers
    2026/06/08
    Episode 39 explores the economic multiplier effect of government research funding. Lucas and Luna examine the 2025 federal R&D budget of $200 billion, tracing how basic research at labs like ARPA-E and NIH seeds commercial breakthroughs. They discuss a 2026 Brookings study showing every dollar of public R&D generates $3.50 in private investment over a decade. Luna challenges whether this holds for applied vs. basic research, and Lucas points to the semiconductor industry as a case where government-funded university consortia led to the modern chip ecosystem. They also touch on geographic concentration: 60% of R&D multiplier effects flow to just ten metro areas. A concrete look at how public science spending ripples through the economy. #GovernmentR&D #JobMultipliers #PublicFinance #Economics #BasicResearch #ARPAE #NIH #Semiconductors #BrookingsStudy #R&DSpending #InnovationPolicy #ScienceFunding #GeographicConcentration #ChipEcosystem #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #BudgetEffect #2026Economy Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    10 分
  • Why Government Procurement Costs Twice as Much

    Why Government Procurement Costs Twice as Much
    2026/06/08
    Government procurement is slow, expensive, and often broken. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a specific case: the US Coast Guard's Deepwater modernization program. Originally budgeted at $24 billion over 25 years, the program saw cost overruns of over 100 percent and delays exceeding a decade. They unpack why procurement is so costly — from the rules of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to the perverse incentives in cost-plus contracting. They also discuss what happens when the government tries to bundle 100 different projects into one giant contract, and how that creates a 'too big to fail' dynamic for both contractors and the government. Finally, they touch on the Pentagon's recent push for 'other transaction authority' (OTA) as a way to speed things up — and whether that actually works. If you've ever wondered why your tax dollars buy so little, this episode offers a clear, concrete explanation. #GovernmentProcurement #PublicFinance #Economics #CoastGuard #DeepwaterProgram #CostOverruns #FederalAcquisitionRegulation #FAR #CostPlusContracting #DefenseSpending #OtherTransactionAuthority #OTA #Budget #Efficiency #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #LucasAndLuna #TaxDollars Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    8 分
  • Why Governments Use Special Purpose Vehicles for Public Projects

    Why Governments Use Special Purpose Vehicles for Public Projects
    2026/06/07
    Governments around the world use special purpose vehicles — SPVs — to finance public projects off their balance sheets. This episode explains why: a school district in Colorado created an SPV to build a new high school without raising taxes or increasing reported debt. Lucas breaks down how SPVs work, why investors accept them, and the hidden risks taxpayers shoulder when these vehicles fail. Luna asks whether SPVs are genuine innovation or budgetary sleight of hand. A concrete look at a financing tool that quietly reshapes how cities, states, and countries build infrastructure. #SpecialPurposeVehicles #GovernmentFinance #Infrastructure #PublicPrivatePartnerships #MunicipalFinance #DebtManagement #SchoolDistrictBonds #Colorado #BudgetInnovation #OffBalanceSheet #TaxpayerRisk #FiscalTransparency #PublicProjects #Economics #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #GovernmentSpending #ProjectFinance Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    11 分
  • Why Government Bonds Trade Below Face Value

    Why Government Bonds Trade Below Face Value
    2026/06/07
    Episode 36 of Government Spending with Fexingo: Budget, Deficits, and Public Finance Explained. Lucas and Luna dig into the mechanics of discount bonds—why a $1,000 government bond can trade for $950. Using Australia's 2033 bond as a real-world example, they explain the math behind coupon rates, prevailing yields, and present value. They also cover why bond prices fall when interest rates rise, the difference between trading at a discount versus a premium, and how this affects government borrowing costs. No prior finance knowledge needed—just curiosity about how public finance actually works. #DiscountBonds #GovernmentBonds #BondPricing #CouponRate #YieldToMaturity #InterestRates #PresentValue #AustraliaBonds #FixedIncome #GovernmentDebt #BondMarket #Treasury #PublicFinance #Economics #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #FinanceEducation #BondBasics Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    10 分
  • Why Governments Print Too Many Banknotes

    Why Governments Print Too Many Banknotes
    2026/06/06
    Episode 35 of Government Spending with Fexingo dives into seigniorage – the profit governments make from printing money. Lucas and Luna break down how the U.S. Mint made about $800 million in 2025 from pennies and nickels alone, and why the Federal Reserve remitted roughly $100 billion to the Treasury last year. They explore the mechanics of seigniorage in modern central banking, the difference between coin and paper currency profits, and the surprising fiscal role of the Fed's balance sheet. Listeners will learn how the government turns a profit on every dollar bill in circulation, why the penny is a money-loser, and what happens when foreign countries use U.S. dollars as their own currency. The episode also touches on the line between seigniorage and inflationary finance, drawing on examples from Zimbabwe and the U.S. Revolutionary War. #Seigniorage #GovernmentSpending #FederalReserve #USMint #CentralBanking #MonetaryPolicy #Inflation #ProfitFromPrintingMoney #PennyDebate #Currency #Economics #Budget #PublicFinance #FedRemittance #ZimbabweHyperinflation #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Macroeconomics Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    7 分
  • Why Governments Turn to Public-Private Partnerships

    Why Governments Turn to Public-Private Partnerships
    2026/06/06
    Public-private partnerships, or PPPs, are government's way of outsourcing big infrastructure projects to private companies. Lucas and Luna walk through how they work, when they fail, and why the US military's privatized housing scandal is a cautionary tale. They examine the economics behind risk transfer, the hidden costs of private finance, and what listeners should look for when their city announces a new toll road or hospital PPP. #PublicPrivatePartnerships #PPP #Infrastructure #GovernmentSpending #Economics #Budget #PublicFinance #PrivateFinance #RiskTransfer #MilitaryHousing #Privatization #TollRoads #ValueForMoney #FiscalPolicy #InfrastructureSpending #Business #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    9 分
  • How Governments Use User Fees to Avoid Taxes

    How Governments Use User Fees to Avoid Taxes
    2026/06/05
    Episode 33 of Government Spending with Fexingo explores how governments increasingly rely on user fees—tolls, park entry charges, and utility surcharges—to fund services instead of broad-based taxes. Lucas breaks down the economics of user fees using real-world examples: the Pennsylvania Turnpike toll hike in June 2026, national park entrance fees that now exceed $35 per vehicle, and the hidden surcharges on your water bill. He and Luna discuss the equity trade-offs: user fees force those who benefit to pay, but they can also create a two-tier system where public goods become club goods. The episode also covers why user fees are politically easier to raise than taxes, and how they shift risk from governments to citizens. If you've wondered why your utility bill has line items you don't recognize—or why that road trip just got more expensive—this episode explains the trend. A concrete look at the quiet transformation of public finance, one fee at a time. #UserFees #GovernmentSpending #PublicFinance #Tolls #NationalParks #InfrastructureFunding #StateBudgets #MunicipalFinance #TaxPolicy #Economics #BudgetDeficit #PennsylvaniaTurnpike #UtilityRates #Congress #FiscalPolicy #PublicGoods #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    10 分