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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009
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 ANALYSIS 
17

Questionable Projects Gobble Stimulus Funds

Report skeptical of $2M dance center, $1M Okla. guardrail

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(Newser) – The economic stimulus is funding a variety of projects, but some possibilities—like a $1.1 million move to fix a guardrail no one uses—don’t seem to fit President Obama’s vision for the money, the Los Angeles Times reports. Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn will question such projects in a report due this week. Obama had outlined projects ranging from promoting alternative energy and connecting rural areas to broadband Internet, but local governments have other ideas.

The Minneapolis City Council called for $2 million to fix up a dance center, creating 48 jobs, while it gave less than $300,000 to a solar-panel factory that would have created 360 jobs but now can’t open in the city. In other cases, stimulus cash is backing projects that would have been completed anyway using other funding. "We know some of this money is going to be wasted," Vice President Joe Biden has said.

President Barack Obama shakes hands with Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla. after his address to a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber of the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009.
President Barack Obama shakes hands with Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla. after his address to a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber of the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009.   (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Pool)
Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., center, waits backstage as Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., rear left, and his wife Cindy arrive at a campaign event in Greenville, S.C., Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2008.
Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., center, waits backstage as Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., rear left, and his wife Cindy arrive at a campaign event in Greenville, S.C., Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2008.   (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
President Barack Obama meets with Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, not shown, Friday, June 12, 2009, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington.
President Barack Obama meets with Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, not shown, Friday, June 12, 2009, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington.   (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)
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17 comments
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Fondue
Jun 14, 09 12:25 PM CDT
I'm hoping the citizens of Minneapolis are made aware of this by the next election. Reply
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+2
TerrifiedCitizen
Jun 14, 09 12:29 PM CDT
What will eventually cause the states to think about life outside their political state lines? Reply
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0
IN RESPONSE:
NovThird2010
Jun 14, 09 1:02 PM CDT
Tenth Amendment, anyone?
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+1
Reader64481089
Jun 14, 09 12:51 PM CDT
Another group of examples of how Politicians could care less for the poor and squander funds meant to help people find meaningful employment so the old political machines can benefit only themselves. Reply
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+5
IN RESPONSE:
ultramarine13
Jun 15, 09 1:01 AM CDT
The President simply cannot stay on top of every little project in the stimulus pack. Frankly, to expect him to do so is asking something not possible. Especially if he is going to attend his other, more important duties as president.
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