Sen. Coburn: Stimulus bill full of waste
Repairs for rural bridges, an under-highway safe crossing for turtles and efforts to protect the sage grouse population are among 100 projects a Republican senator pointed to Monday as questionable federal stimulus spending.The White House sure did get the economy moving - in the wrong direction. The Obama administration spin that it has "created or saved" over 150,000 jobs is completely bogus.
The list by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., includes projects others would identify as ideal for creating jobs and benefiting generations of Americans: skateboard parks, streetscapes, upgrades of park facilities, bike trails and parking garages.
Coburn's list is partially a collection of news stories that questioned local projects to be funded under President Barack Obama's economic recovery program. The White House has promoted the program by selecting favorable newspaper stories.
One of the most fiscally conservative senators, Coburn cited the repair of 37 rural bridges in Wisconsin that average little more than 500 vehicles apiece each day - with one carrying no more than 10 cars a day. The projects jumped over larger, urban repairs because they were "shovel ready."...
An administration spokesman said the stimulus program already is a great success.
Ed DeSeve, senior adviser to the president for Recovery Act implementation, said, "We have approved more than 20,000 Recovery Act projects to get Americas economy moving again.
Sen. Coburn's list reveals some of the problems with the federal government's attempts to jumpstart the economy. It takes your money and gives it to people and projects based on political connections rather than economic value.
Sen. Coburn's list is just another reminder that we, the people, aren't getting what we paid for.
