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Rhino Blog
January 30, 2009 | 08:59 PM
Where to start on the House-approved American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and its purported goal of jump-starting a stalled and sputtering economy? Certainly not with anything that would create a significant number of jobs or pump liquidity into a market gone dry.
Indeed, only 5 percent of the $819 billion plan will go toward actual, shovel-ready infrastructure projects that could stimulate job growth, according to a Boston Globe report. And according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, a majority of the funds won't be spent until 2010, or years later.
So where's the stimulus money going? How about $335 million for sexually transmitted disease education programs, along with another $58 million for smoking cessation programs. Then there's the $420 million to prepare for a possible flu pandemic – someday, maybe, or maybe not. Another $100 million is slated for lead paint removal from homes; $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts; and $200 million for volcano monitors as part of upgrades to the nation's geological study facilities.
And what economic stimulus plan would be complete without $600 million to improve the country's climate watching capabilities, or $650 million to help pay for the looming transition from analog to digital TV?
Want to find out what else is hidden in the stimulus package? Don't bother checking the Obama Administration's latest stab at government transparency that's easily accessible by the public. A quick click on recovery.gov, the site that's supposed to keep the public in the loop, reveals the following message:
"Check back after the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to see how and where your tax dollars are spent.
"An oversight board will routinely update this site as part of an unprecedented effort to root out waste, inefficiency, and unnecessary spending in our government.
WhiteHouse.gov
USA.gov"
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