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President Obama has asked States to submit their "shovel ready projects" to create jobs and stimulate the economy. Alittle research brought me to a site "Stimuluswatch.org".
This is an excellent site with hords of information as well as rating "shovel-ready" projects from most critical to least critical and even has a mechanism for people to voteon projects up or down. It also includes the justificationfor the project by the state, respective city or group.
Some of the proposals are so off the wall, they are actually unbelievable. One favorite shovel ready project which I found, will not create any jobs, will put people out of work, and will cost the taxpayer $1.5million.
Here is the summary of this project proposed in Ohio…………………………….
" Dayton, OHInitiative to Reduce Prostitution-Off the Streets Program. This initiative would connect individuals involved in prostitution with resources to leave a life of prostitution. Beginning with emergency shelter and continuing with an array of educational$1,500,000.00 – 0 jobs – Public Safety Program" ……………………..
The list of other least critical shovel ready projects goeson and include a golf course, 99,000 for doorbells in Laurel, MS, 363,000 for police rifles in Florida, Hawiian Paradise Park 10million (to solve underserved reacreationalneeds), Suset Dog Park, half million, there are proposals to buy police cruisers, ford expeditions, and the list goes on. I highly recommend you check out this website.
You will either wind up crying, laughing, or at least be satisfied that someone has a handle on the information for these projects that our taxpayer dollars are probably going to fund.
2 Comments
I believe there is a (added late) provision in the STIM that prohibits money from being used on parks so at least some of this stuff will not be funded under the terms of the STIM.
The others? Of course, everyone put in their pet projects. But I am more interested to look at the recovery.gov site and see that actual approved projects instead of this stuff.
I don’t know who the organization is that put up your linked site – but as you know, the Republicans are still bellyaching about ‘condoms’ and a highspeed rail from Disneyland to Sin City – neither of which are currently in the bill. The first was removed on the first day after objections by the Rethugs, and the second was never in there in the first place.
So…
the whole idea is to put people to work .. no ?? i agree some of the things like dog walking parks etc .. look a bit lame .. but they stil creat jobs .. concrete will poured .. re-bar will be purchased .. paychecks will get written and cashed .. and in the end .. local businesses will benefit as well as local people and there will be something tangible in the community which wasn’t there before ..
when we look at the idea that the whole housing industry has collapsed .. there’s a comple segment of the economy .. the house-construction people.. who are idling .. and fully fifty percent of them are individual contractors who normally work on 1099’s .. they can’t qualify for unemployment.. there are NO jobs elsewhere for them to migrate to ..
so .. imo ..anything which helps put these folks back to work .. with shovels and hoes .. or with pitchforks and rakes .. is an improvement ..