More waste

Brand USA is a corporation created by Congress in the Travel Promotion Act of 2009 to promote the United States abroad and encourage foreign visitors to travel to the United States.  Under the Act, a $10 travel promotion fee is assessed on travelers visiting the United States from countries who participate in the Visa Waiver Program.  Those funds are collected and deposited in a special fund in the United States Treasury.  The Corporation for Travel Promotion, now known as Brand USA, can draw from this fund if it receives matching donations from the private sector.  These matching donations can be in-kind donations; for example, donations enabling the board to go to a baseball game were considered valid donations which enabled Brand USA to spend an equivalent amount of taxpayer dollars. 

And spending money is not a problem for the organization.  Although spending it wisely may be.  Some examples: $4,139 for 250 holiday cards, $3,592 for a holiday e-card and $2,449 for a ringtone version of a Rosanne Cash song, $2,700 for 26 sets of business cards and $50,252 for giveaway materials at the International Pow Wow trade show.