Posted on 08/04/2010 6:46:06 AM PDT by La Lydia
A couple of Republican senators put out a report today spelling out how they say a lot of the money taxpayers shelled out for the stimulus package was wasted. CBS News investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson Follows the Money. It may be called the Recovery Act, but to Pastor Greg Sheets - it's the law of unintended consequences. A well-meaning stimulus project to improve the road in front of his Newark, Ohio home has led the city to take part of his yard through eminent domain....
In the state of Washington, another stimulus project may be hurting those it was designed to help. Construction began one year ago today in front of the Archery Bistro Restaurant. The owner says it's shut off business like a fly in a bowl of soup. He's had to stop serving lunch, close two days a week and, ironically, lay off 12 workers...too much of the $862 billion in stimulus money is being spent with dubious results: $700,000 for a researcher to study improvised music. For a project on interactive dance, 44 percent of the money goes to "overhead."
The $1.9 million spent to photograph ants in foreign countries has created two jobs created so far. That's better than other ant research stimulus projects: $451,000 has created one job, $276,000 spent on another created six one-hundredths of a job, and the $800,000 spent on a different one created no jobs.
The $144,000 spent to study the behavior of monkeys on cocaine created four-tenths of a job....
To study why monkeys respond to unfairness cost $677,000 - and has created no jobs yet - except maybe for the monkeys.
Still, Obama Administration economists say all the projects have valid goals..
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
c’mon. lawyers, bureaucrats and layabouts are prospering!
We have a stimulation project in my home town that has caused two business to close.
While I think the stimulus bill was a complete crock of socialistic crap, I can’t relate the two business closings to the stimulus bill. Our bridge needed replaced and no matter who provided the loot, construction would have blocked access to the businesses. Sucks, but it is what it is. On the other hand, I do wonder if the source of funds being federal didn’t change how the bid was let. The winning firm took 14 months to build a four lane bridge - which ironically enough, has a 5th turning lane in the middle complete with arrows!
Why do you need a turn lane in the middle of a bridge? That said, I have little sympathy for your 14-month project because I have to use the Virginia part of the Beltway. They have been working on it for several years now, like seven or eight, maybe, with no end in sight, and on both the inner and outer loop, every time you drive it the exits are different, and badly marked, so you tend to overshoot your destination and go miles out of your way. It is maddening. Washington DC has been working on 295/Route 50/New York Avenue improvements since the mid-90s and they STILL AREN’T FINISHED. And yes, I am bitter.
Isn’t this the stimulus package that set aside funds for wooden arrows (or something like that)? Wonder if they’ve hired a bunch of people for that industry.
Buggy whips, prolly.
That $600 toilet seat was a bargain.
I call it the "Obama Lane" when people in town talk about it. Not only a turn lane on a bridge, the damn thing has turn arrows painted on it! I empathize with you on your highways. I am enduring my fifth year of reconstruction on my commute route. Two season here; winter and construction.
Republicans Reveal Unknown Projects
No laughing matter, Northwestern University got $712, 000 dollars to create a joke machine. It’s a robot that mimics comedians by pulling jokes off the internet.
http://www.wifr.com/news/headlines/99902839.html?ref=839
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