The federal government spends more than $700 billion a year on 1,386 subsidy programs for state and local activities such schools, transit, and housing. In a recent study, I described 18 reasons why these aid programs should be eliminated.

One reason is that the rules that come with federal subsidies undermine citizen control of their own communities. The Obama administration, for example, tried to manipulate local zoning laws through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. Those particular rules have been loosened up, but micromanagement is an ongoing threat from all federal aid programs.

A recent local news story from Pennsylvania reflects the CDBG manipulation problem. Note that CDBG is not so much a program for “low-to-moderate income individuals,” but rather a program that hands-out business subsidies, as discussed here and here.