Say Anything Blog

“Stimulus” jobs that last a week.  “Stimulus” for porn flicks.  Why not “stimulus” for bridges that don’t need repair?

For its analysis, the AP asked each state and the District of Columbia to identify every bridge on which it planned some work using stimulus money. In some states that represented a final list. In others, new projects could be added. Most states provided project costs, but some did not. Some states included in their costs other road work related to the bridge project, like paving or widening nearby roads.

The AP then researched each bridge using the latest inspection data available from the Transportation Department.

This analysis found that:

_ Many states did not make bridge work a priority in stimulus spending. More than half plan work on fewer than two dozen bridges and 18 states plan fewer than 10 projects.

_ In 24 states, at least half of the bridges being worked on with stimulus money were not deficient.

_ In 15 states, at least two-thirds of the bridges receiving stimulus money are not deficient.

Remember, when Obama was selling the “stimulus” spending spree he said it would go to “crumbling bridges.”  And yet, now we’re on the hook for the $787 billion “stimulus” spending spree, which has driven our deficit up to nose-bleed heights, and the money is going to…bridges that don’t really need repaired.

Because in their mad scramble to the federal trough to be slopped by “stimulus” money, local officials just tossed out a bunch of projects to be funded even if those projects weren’t a necessity.  Because the important part to them wasn’t spending this money wisely.  The important part was just getting the money.

Which is typical of government bureaucrats.  How many times do we hear that money was spent by a specific government entity or agency not because they needed to spend it but because if they didn’t spend it they wouldn’t get it again?  We hear this about schools.  Colleges.  Cities.  Counties.  Police departments.  They get too much federal money, so they actually invent things to spend it on.  Because if they give it back to the federal government they won’t get that much funding ever again.

But hey, let’s put these idiots in charge of health care!