The People’s money (via “Stimulus”) spent in imaginary Congressional Districts? Another example of “Why Washington Is Broken”
The following are excerpts of some of those stories:
November 16, 2009
“Here's a stimulus success story: In Arizona's 15th congressional district, 30 jobs have been saved or created with just $761,420 in federal stimulus spending. At least that's what the Web site set up by the Obama administration to track the $787 billion stimulus says. 
“There's one problem, though: There is no 15th congressional district in Arizona; the state has only eight districts. 
“And ABC News has found many more entries for projects like this in places that are incorrectly identified.” 
November 17, 2009
“The government Web site that promised to show exactly where the $787 billion in stimulus spending was going to ‘create or save’ jobs is allocating billions of tax dollars to hundreds of congressional districts that don’t exist.
“Researchers at the Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity found 440 ‘phantom districts’ listed on 
Recovery.gov
, consuming $6.4 billion and creating or saving nearly 30,000 jobs.”
November 17, 2009
“In addition to the jobs in non-existent congressional districts reported Monday by ABC News, in real congressional districts, there are also problems, lots of them.”
 “Head Start of Augusta, Ga., claimed 317 jobs with a $790,000 grant, but it was really just a one-time raise to its 317 employees.
“Chris Whitley is a fiscal officer for Central Savannah River Area Economic Opportunity Authority, which administers the Head Start program in Augusta. He says it was the administration's stimulus help line that advised them to claim 317 jobs. 
November 18, 2009
“Another day, another flurry of outrage over the jobs numbers claimed by the government for the administration's $787 billion economic stimulus program. 
“House Appropriations Committee Chairman David R. Obey (D-Wis.) released a blistering statement Tuesday, taking to task flawed data in the federal figures that show $160 billion in spending had created or saved at least 640,000 jobs.” 
November 18, 2009
“According to Ed Pound, director of communications for 
recovery.gov
, the Web site relies on self-reporting by recipients of the stimulus money. 
“No one checks to verify its accuracy, or to take note of the fact that Utah really doesn't have seven congressional districts, South Dakota, 10, or Louisiana, 15.”
"’We're not certifying the accuracy of the information,’ said Pound.”
November 18, 2009
“The Government Accountability Office, the congressional watchdog, will testify at a House oversight committee hearing Thursday that there are ‘significant issues to be addressed’ in the accuracy of reports about the number of jobs credited to the federal stimulus program because of errors in forms filed by recipients of the money.
“Separately, the agency tasked with overseeing the program announced Wednesday evening that it had corrected reports by recipients who appeared to be in non-existent congressional districts, after being asked to do so by the White House.”
6 Comments