Waste of the Day: Throwback Thursday - Entrepreneurs in Barbados
Topline: The U.S. unemployment rate was nearly 9% in 2011, but Washington was still spending taxpayer dollars to create jobs in other countries. The U.S. Agency for International Development sent $1.4 million to the island of Barbados for an "entrepreneurship initiative” run in partnership with Indiana University‘s Kelley School of Business.
The money would be worth $2 million today.
That’s according to the “Wastebook” reporting published by the late U.S. Senator Dr. Tom Coburn. For years, these reports shined a white-hot spotlight on federal frauds and taxpayer abuses.
Coburn, the legendary U.S. Senator from Oklahoma, earned the nickname "Dr. No" by stopping thousands of pork-barrel projects using the Senate rules. Projects that he couldn't stop, Coburn included in his oversight reports.
Coburn's Wastebook 2011 included 100 examples of outrageous spending worth nearly $7 billion, including Barbados’ employment boost.
Key facts: The grant went to Barbados‘ Cave Hill School of Business to create an undergraduate minor in entrepreneurship and revise its standards for awarding an MBA. Courses focused on four key areas, according to the grant listing: “alternative energy initiatives, high-tech ventures, social entrepreneurship and cultural entrepreneurship.”
In 2011, Barbados’ unemployment rate was slightly higher than America’s at 11.2%. By 2024 it was down to 7.5%.
Foreign assistance to Barbados has remained in the millions of dollars, but today more money is being used to subsidize the country’s own administrative costs. The U.S. sent $2.3 million to Barbados in fiscal year 2025, but more than half was categorized as administrative.
Search all federal, state and local salaries and vendor spending with the world’s largest government spending database at OpenTheBooks.com.
Summary: Entrepreneurship in Barbados has seen a boost since 2011, but there are arguably more pressing issues facing America’s own economy than that of a distant island.
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