Obama Says Stimulus Worked, Created Jobs… Here’s a Reminder of the Waste
by Warner Todd HustonIn his recent trip to Racine, Wisconsin, President Obama claimed that his stimulus policies worked and “saved jobs.” He also said that his policies staved off another Great Depression. But lets take a look at some of the graft, waste and pointless, useless, wild-eyed spending that was in his so-called stimulus.
- $5 million to create a geothermal energy system for a shopping mall in Tennessee. The mall is over half empty of tenants and has had falling shopper attendance for years *
- $1.57 million to Penn State University study fossils in Argentina *
- $100,000 to a puppet theater in Minnesota *
- $2 million to build a replica railroad tourist trap in Carson City, Nev. *
- A boat cruise company in Chicago got almost $1 million to “combat terrorism” *
- $500,000 went to Ariz. State Univ. to study ant genetics *
- Another $450,000 went to Uinv. of Arizona to study ants *
- Almost $400,000 went to Univ. of New York to pay students to drink beer and smoke marijuana for a study there *
- $219,000 to the Nat’l Institute of Health to study if young people “hook-up” after getting drunk *
- $210,000 to the Univ. of Hawaii to study bees *
- $700,000 to crab fishermen in Oregon to pay for lost crab pots *
- $5,000 a person tax rebate if you buy a new electric golf cart (Wall Street Journal)
- Up to $1 million went to prisoners in $250 stimulus checks (FoxNews)
- $54 mil to a New York Indian tribe to run its casino (New York Post)
- $1 billion for a power plant in Mattoon, Illinois that is based on speculative science and may not even work **
- $15 million to back-road bridges that get little traffic in Wisconsin **
- $800,000 for a practically unused airport in Pennsylvania **
- $3.4 million for an animal walk way under a road in Florida **
- $1.15 million to install a guard rail for a lake that doesn’t even exist in Oklahoma **
- $10 million to renovate a rail station that has stood unused for a decade **
- $578,000 to battle homelessness in Union, New York even though the town says they have no homeless people there **
- $233,000 to the Univ. of Calif. to study why Africans vote… in Africa ***
- $2 million to build a new fire house in a Nevada town that has no firemen ***
- North Carolina schools got $4.4 million for literacy and math coaches… to teach their teachers! ***
- $54 million for a railroad project in Napa Valley went to a minority-owned company that then hired a local construction company for half the price, pocketing the rest ***
- A California company was given $15 million in stimulus money to monitor water quality in a stream it was under indictment for polluting previously***
Well, obviously this is just a tiny list of the graft, waste, and useless spending in Obama’s so-called stimulus bill but it serves to illustrate the fact that stimulating the economy was far from the minds of those congressmen that voted for the bill. It was more about paying off constituents than stimulating the economy.
Source unless noted: * = The Hill. ** = Americans for Tax Reform, *** = Fox News.
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411 Comments
Wait… Let me simulate a surprised face. =8O
The only good that the stimulus did (not intended by the pols) was stimulate a taxpayers revolt. That part of the stimulus will start to kick in on November 2nd.
This is sad. No money to help the states who are in Mother Nature Disaster, but has no problem spending money elsewhere. I sure hope that Obama and the Dems get hit with these questions on why they say that they don't have the money to help the states this coming elections and Nov 2012 for Zero.
"North Carolina schools got $4.4 million for literacy and math coaches… to teach their teachers!"
Now that says it all, We need to get rid of the Public school system and unions
Add in all of these "extended" federal holidays, federal pensions, benefits, floating federal holidays, birthdays off "sabbaticals"and bonuses…
* Friday, January 1 – New Year's Day
* Monday, January 18 – Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday
* Monday, February 15 – Washington's Birthday (President's Day)
* Monday, May 31 – Memorial Day
* Monday, July 5 – Independence Day
* Monday, September 6 – Labor Day
* Monday, October 11 – Columbus Day
* Thursday, November 11 – Veterans Day
* Thursday, November 25 – Thanksgiving Day
* Saturday, December 25 – Christmas Day
* Saturday, January 1, 2011 – New Year's Day
Multiply an "assumed average dollars per day" in federal pay of $300 times nearly 3 million federal employees times the numbers of "extended" holidays, 30 days of paid vacations and "alternative holidays" we're talking hundreds of billions folks… While I do not deny that many of these are "national holidays" some are just excessive to the taxpayers wallet and they need to be trimmed. Take into account that the holidays that fall on Sundays result in a free day on the following Monday…
If it isn't broke, keep fixing it until it is. The us govt. philosophy 2010
By the time 2012 rolls around,.nearly a trillion will be spread out to the Lib / Dem / Lefty cronies,……….
the Republicans, who will "take over" the reins of power are going to do absolutely NOTHING about it.
The only ones I agree with are: Independence Day, Thanksgiving (not the day after for a 3-day weekend) and Christmas. Otherwise they can and I did work while in the military!!!
Thank you for your service!
The "floaters", 30 days vacation that VERY few Americans ever get are pretty excessive though, these are based on federally mandated averages of "union employees", this is where the rub is. If the average American gets about two weeks paid vacation per year many of these days off fall under the "excessive" category. We must reign in automatic government perks or we're screwed in the long run..
The most excessive perks of all go to congressmen who can take a full retirement after just two years in office, this must end.
The reason Hussein can say this nonsense with a straight face is because he believes everyone is as dumb as the people that voted for him. And it's hard to blame him, even he realizes he shouldn't be president and probably has contempt for those stupid enough to vote for him. It really is staggering that this economic illiterate and affirmative action political neophyte is telling us not to believe our lying eyes.
The world has come to grips with the fact that the US has elected a petulant leftwing ingrate for a president and they've begun to dismiss him as witnessed at the G20 summit where his liberal ideas were rejected by socialists no less.
America, we got punked. Redemption is coming. Remember November.
the only stimulus i see is union coffers. we need a nationwide viagra, a big fat tax cut. but not just a federal cut, state and local too. we atm's are running out of money, and we cannot afford this government. do you think we can return it, and find a cheaper less intrusive one at wal-mart, or sam's club?
So Obama says the stimulus worked, eh?
Obama said a lot of things. Obama said unemployment could exceed 8% unless we passed the stimulus … and look where we are now!
“Don’t tell me words don’t matter. [....] Just words? Just speeches?”
~~ Barack Obama, at the Wisconsin Democratic Party Founder’s Day dinner, February 16, 2008
Government has NEVER been as efficient as the private sector, save one thing. The stimulus is just a way to spread wealth amongst his cronies. It is the legal way for all politicians to steal us blind. They all must be replaced in November with people that will repeal laws, abolish Departments, eliminate usless regulation, abolish public employee unions and cut taxes.
Bush's stimulus turned into Giehtner paying off his Wall Street banker buddies and obama's stimulus was just plain old payoffs to those people and organizations that has helped, or will help obama.can't trust government to do the right thing.
I've always wondered about that picture. Is he holding a pen or a certain kind of thermometer?
The Jokers' regime is dedicated to collapsing Free Market Capitalism.
Their vote buying spending is just another way of trying to stay in office
long enough to accomplish his task.
No one isn their right mind would
ever vote for these clowns unless they were bought off hence the need for
massive funding to keep buying votes.
Along with trying to destroy small business by taxing it to death, regulating it
to death and making sure you can't get a loan anywhere reckless spending
and unending regulation has been the forte of the regime so far.
It won't end until Nov.
Yeah it worked, until the construction union here in Illinois went on strike, for more money!! It pissed me off so much! Hear my rant here http://media.libsyn.com/media/mikeleeandterrymart...
Say, where is the article on the wasteful spending on the war in Iraq? You know, the one that has cost this nation over one trillion dollars and 4,000 lives and was based upon intelligence which had been deliberately skewed. Oh, I know someone is going to call me a commie, fascist, marxist. However, before you do, just remember Ron Paul voted against this war and I am not a Ron Paul supporter.
Typical. SO you are saying when there is a fire in the kitchen spread gasoline throughout the house and lock all exterior doors?
HuffPo trolls are genius.
Just like a Hack Lib – complain about things the Fed. Government is SUPPOSE to suppose to actually spend money on…
…but then say it's "OK" for them to spend Trillions on things that they AREN'T ALLOWED TO.
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The Olinsky stimulies funding plus, the TARP slush funding will be impossible to out fund raise, so I wouldn't count on that "take over" just yet, and even if it does take place, like you said, Republicans are a very poor facility to store any faith or open in.
Libertarians would be the only chance to turn this ship around, fat chance enough of them get voted in to even add any resistance at all.
The stimulus did work,,,,,,for the unions (who represent a whopping 15% of our economy). As for the rest of us (85%) we get to screw the pooch.
Mr. Huston. There is a saying. "Birds and bees" They account for over 1/3 third of the US food supply. Understanding why they MAY be in peril is money well spent in my mind.
And please don't underestimate the impact of ants. I'm being completely sincere here and telling you this from experience.
Can I verify that is what those recipients are doing with the money? Hell no. But the intentions should not be minimized. Just because after the last decade we got rich climate scientists instead of rich top soil doesn't mean we should throw the baby out with the bath water.
Less for Monsanto. More for the birds and bees. Who else on the planet works tirelessly w/o federal tax dollars to help ensure a third of the nations food supply?
America's economic future, with Obamanomic's.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1GLiOrVDdk&fe...
Let's not forget about the national ID push in Washington as well. http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2010/...
A riveting message from the 57th state!
Huskerboy, this is about the stimulas bill Obama passed only, not everything the government has spent on this year, but what this bill was wasted on over the past year.
Maybe if you cared to read, this stimulas hasnt done squat to decrease unemployment and it just furthered wasteful government spending.
I dont know how else to explain it to you, but the stimulas money has nothing to do with funding the war. What you are going on about is something else entirely different.
The Olinsky stimulies funding, plus the TARP slush funding will be impossible to out fund raise, so I wouldn't count on that "take over" just yet, and even if it does take place, like you said, Republicans are a very poor facility to store any faith or open in.
No. Just pointing out the hypocrisy on this site.
ALL this so called stimulus equates to throwing trillions of $ in a well-used outdoor privy in August,
IT STINKS TO HIGH HEAVEN.
NUFF SAID !
It has not done squat? Please. This economy was in the tank. Oh, and by the way, I am not defending wasteful spending.
"America, we got punked."
Correction, GS. We "punked" ourselves and the rest of the world. Everything else was spot on. We'll start getting it rectified in November. Hope you had a great Independence Day!
What hypocrisy, this was about STIMULUS SPENDING, not the war funds. Those are two totally different spending issues.
As stated by someone else on here, its just the government wasting more of our money and its doing with trivial matters and on top of that, does nothing to help the private sector.
Huskerboy, are you really that dumb to not see that.
Honestly, I don't count on any kind of take over just yet. First, not all the corrupt senators are up for re-election. : -) More importantly, win, lose or draw, these self-absorbed, arrogent, POS politicians have stirred up a hornets' nest that will cause the voting public to be engaged for generations to come. We don't have to win the war today, but by letting the idiots in DC know there is a war going on, we win the first battle.
Warner! …this is all damned important stuff, we must keep the host alive.
Dude, its done almost nothing for the private sector, unemployment is still way about 9% even though the bill was claimed to keep it under 8%. Besides, with the way the government is spending, we are expecting to go into a double-dip recession. In other words, The stimulus bill has done nothing to turn our economy around.
And since your against wasteful spending, then are you against this stimulus since it is nothing but wasteful spending.
Let's not lose sight of the fact that Bush agreed to move forward on tarp at the request of the TOTUS-elect. He knew it was going to happen either way…he just fell for the lie that it "was a crisis and needed immediate action". He should have made Obama own that decision. Instead, he stupidly gave him political cover at his own expense. Bottom line…TARP is on Obama…not Bush.
New Department of Homeland INSECURITY Czar says: WTF
deets at: http://spnheadlines.blogspot.com/2010/03/homeland...
The economy has been in the tank since WHO took over Congress in 2006…??????
Government grants to ANYONE is a bad idea. Having them pick winners and losers is a BAD idea. Who gets "research" grants? Who decides? And at what cost to the receipient? The free market will take care of itself. I don't think Con-Agra will not research a production problem without government support. It's not in their best interest to do nothing. The business that solves these problems stands to gain enormously. I say go to it, but without the stiffling hand of government involved.
I fail to understand why an individual should be paid for a day off. In a private company, if they choose to do so, no problem. When it's on the taxpayer dime at better than the private sector scale in the name of employing those of which 90% serve no function what so ever for an institution that produces nothing……no F'n way!
FG. It's a waste of time arguing with LoverBoy. Just click on the Thumb and move on to a more intelligent debate. Don't waste your obviously superior intellect on it.
I know it, but I just find it hard to resist arguing with them. Since their arguements are like watching a train wreck.
Has anyone noticed that the Recovery.gov site and all agencies receiving Recovery Funds have a link to the Recovery Hotline? Takeit from me, It's all a cover up. I have filed 4 different claims of mismanagement of recovery act funds, over a million for one federal contract…Not once have I gotten a response from Chairman Devaney or his board. Nor can you follow up on your own complaint. That link is just their to make the US Citizens think the funds are being monitored. Certified letters have gone out to every Local, State and Federal Official all the way up to Biden and Obama. No Response. I called the US District Attorney…Was told there was nothing they could do because they represent the Agency that is committing the fraud….They asked me if I had an attorney…NOW TELL ME…WHY DOES THE AMERICAN TAX PAYER HAVE TO HIRE AN ATTORNEY TO HAVE THE FEDS INVESTIGATED??? The Recover Act is just putting money in the hands of those that help the Feds cover up what the Feds are Doing. (Period) Mr. Huston if you want a Story I got a Story…
No teachers unions in NC–can't blame this one on unions. This issue with stupid teachers is indicitave of the education system in general.
Comrade Obama. Thank you for a short painful experience on how it feels to live under Communism.We didn't enjoy it. So you and your Team have to go now.You, Pelosi, Reid et al. including our spineless RINOs like Graham, McCain Lieberman etc have temporarily set U.S.back but your Reign is over.You tried to KEEP 30Million Criminal Illegals, Terrorists, Disease Ridden rapists & Welfare freeloaders who use up Welfare meant for US Citizens in need.just so that you can Co-Opt Illgals, force them into the SEIU for a Voting Block! You Amnesty Path to Citizenship come true! Not so fast.Plus your DOJ freed Black Panthers who intimidated voters. I don't trust Your Administration. No wonder REAL American's formed Tea Parties across America You spent us into devastating debt but you forgot one thing. American's NEVER GIVE UP. We will Repeal, Replace your damage, and Clean America out & back to Safety. Never again Dems!
Quite frankly, they shouldn't be spending the money no matter who has suffered a weather-related disaster. You could spend yourself into oblivion trying to defeat the effects of weather.
Remember that every dollar spent comes from someone and will be paid back (Who am I trying to kid? It'll never get paid back.) with interest.
The only useful thing is see is studying the bees. Otherwise it's all a waste. Money in somebody's pocket.
How many of these jobs created are federal jobs?
Who pays for those federal jobs? Oh right, the taxpayers do when our Benevolent Leaders steal our productivity at the point of a gun.
I'd like to see a study done on how much money is stolen from us through taxes to pay for new federal job salaries vs. how much those new leeches actually contribute back into the private sector. I doubt the numbers would be good.
It doesn't "stimulate" the economy just because you call it a stimulus, Obama.
Can someone tell us all how Barack Obama sat in a pew for 20 years and "Never" heard even a peep out of this loon with hate speeches like this? Yeah, right!
http://gatewaypundit.firstthings.com/2010/07/obam...
Can someone tell us all how Barack Obama sat in a pew for 20 years and "Never" heard even a peep out of this loon with hate speeches like this? Yeah, right!
http://gatewaypundit.firstthings.com/2010/07/obam...
Can someone tell us all how Barack Obama sat in a pew for 20 years and "Never" heard even a peep out of this loon with hate speeches like this? Yeah, right!
http://gatewaypundit.firstthings.com/2010/07/obam...
Sorry Nathan, but just because NC might be a right to work state – I will guarentee that 95% of your teachers belong to The Union. School Administrator's won't hire them otherwise. It's a Rigged system.
We are a Right to Work State here in Texas, but The Unions STILL run the schools.
TARP is on Bush. TARP II is on Obama. The "Stimulus" Scam (which only gave a hard-on to Obama, Reid, and Pelosi) is also on Obama. ObamaCare is on Obama. Cap & Tax will be on Obama (although Bush would have done the same). Amnesty for Illegals will be on Obama (although Bush would have done the same).
If you put your trust in the government and politicians that we have today, you're a fool.
[...] Read More Posted in B Hussein Obama, Barack Hussein Obama, Barack Obama, Hussein Obama, Islam, Islam sympathizers, Islamic immigration, Obama, democrat muslim, islam fundamentalist. Tags: Barack Obama anti American, Barack Obama Traitor, Crony Capitalism, debt, economic ruin, Economic stimulus, Gangster government, Islamic Fifth Column, Obama regime, Socialism, stimulus, Waste. Leave a Comment » [...]
Was in the tank? Where exactly do you think it is now?
Seems to me they could stimulate more jobs by quitting
You'd better recheck your \”facts\”. In November 2008 (after the election and before the inauguration), Obama is on record as having urged then President Bush to enact TARP before the inauguration. Obama stated that he would do it his first day in office, but that it was needed sooner. Bush complied.
Liberal Economics 101 taught by Professor Nancy Pelosi
She's a busy woman. She also teaches Liberal Theology 101.
http://remembernovember.com/
http://remembernovember.com/
Congratulations, Lost. You now have four posts in a row that have not been deleted by the administrator due to your language. You must be very proud.
Let's see. The Dow is 3,000 points higher. I know the truth hurts.
Funny thing: both my parents are teachers in North Carolina. In their contracts, it states that if they decide to join a teacher's union, they can be fired. The unions may run things at the state-level, deciding curricula and whatnot, but as far as piss-poor teachers go–the teachers fail all on their own.
That's why I say the work of us Tea Party folks must continue after Novemeber.
Just think: The federal Leviathan is about to bestow all of this "efficiency," and more, upon what once was the greatest health-care system on the planet. Yippee!
Thanks a bunch, ObamaTards.
He didn't wear that ridiculous hat in Wisconsin, did he?
A long time ago I threw a brick at a duck.
And still all we hear about from main stream media is the story about "the bridge to nowhere in Alaska."And this is just the stimulus…what about the healthcare reform bills pork,the bank reform pork….etc,etc,…
"$219,000 to the Nat’l Institute of Health to study if young people “hook-up” after getting drunk *
I feel like stabbing someone…Perhaps myself, and then I can get on the government cheese! Free health care and unemployment for as far as the eye can see! We should all stab ourselves, what a great idea. Ya know, in the hand or something. Sure it'll hurt, but it won't kill ya, and think of all the taxpayers' money you've always wanted to rob, just like our government, that will be there for the taking/ I think I'm onto something here…
Okay, how about a proglodyte.
Then we got all those folks who think Paul Krugman is a great economist (he won the Nobel Prize!), and who believe Al Gore — that sex crazed green toy poodle — is right on Global Warming (he won the Nobel Prize!) and, of course, supported Obama for President (before he won the Nobel Prize!). We can borrow, spend and tax our way to prosperity! Double down on the National Debt! Re-double the doubling — and no doubting!
Finally, I am made speechless.
[...] » Obama Says Stimulus Worked, Created Jobs… Here’s a Reminder of the Waste – Big… [...]
How much longer do you think we will have to listen to the lies?
Apparently, there are a lot of fools…..
[...] by – on 2010/07/05 Source: Big Government by Warner Todd [...]
Could be a while, hempstead1944.
You know what they say : "Once you try Black, you never go back !"
/s
Bush was "SNOOKERED" !
Yes, he was. That part, at least, WAS his fault.
If you mean from it's all time low you are correct.
However all 2010 gains have been wiped out and the Dow is in negative territory.
Your welcome.
Late coming here….
You want waste. Check out what Obama's idea of advancing space travel: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/07/05/nasa-c...
Now, I have one question…if you were to look up Kabul pictures in a search engine, check out the pictures there compared to your vision of NASA you will be asking the same question as any other reasonable US citizen with a grasp on reality:
What in the hell does the muslim world have to offer in the realm of advancing space travel?
[...] Obama Says Stimulus Worked, Created Jobs… Here’s a Reminder of the Waste-Posted on BigGovernment.com-By Warner Todd Huston-On July 5, 2010: [...]
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-07-03/u-s-s...
The Dow's on its longest losing streak in two years. It lost 457 points last week alone. Is the truth stinging you a bit now?
He was busy listening to the voices in his mind that declared him KING O'THE WORLD.
Not to worry, your voice will come back lounder than ever very soon as we have work to do!
Till November to REMEMBER x's 2!!!
"You Lie!" Clean sweep in Nov! Deport 20Million Illegal Criminal's like Eisenhower did.That will save U.S.Trillions!
Plus the Legal Immigrants, who followed Law will come in & be productive people who really want to be Citizens.
PS: Obama- We'll hire our own Architects & legal citizens to build "The Great Southern Border Wall!"
(That's what I think it should be called. Want to start a contest? Who can submit the best name for our new Border?
Tea Party Border? Save the States Wall? The Brewer/Arpaio Impasse!? Hey "O" your job was to keep U.S. safe, not to collect "voting blocks" or Partner Up with Socialist Leaders to form Obama's Global World Union. No Thanks! Bye
[...] the rest of this great post here Comments (0) Posted in Oil Spill [...]
Not to mention the amount of time & money it will take to clean up this mess…
Please we have reviewed this wasted topic 1000 times, ALL of the major Dem leaders saw the same reports and they were on board with the war effort. Are you saying if we didn't have the war ti would be ok for Obama to waste billions of dollars? If we hadn't had the war there wouldn't have been anything for you LIBERALs to whine about, and we all know its ok to waste money as lon as it is for LIBERAL causes. If we hadn't had the war there wouldn't be an Obama presidency.
Taking money from one group and giving it to another is not a stimulus. It is robbery.
At the risk of getting raked over the coals, I am going to agree with Husker to the extent that the War on Terror has now taken twice as long as WWII, with no end in sight to the costs in blood and treasure (American blood, I could not care less about Iraqi or Afghani civilians).
Surely the USA had a right and duty to respond to Sept 11th, but the overwhelming White Western Liberal Guilt has tied the US's hands to the point of stupidity. Of course a withdrawal would be accompanied by targeting a couple hundred nuclear tipped cruise missiles at the muslim world with the warning: 'if there is a single religious motivated incident within the US, Mecca is vapor.'
I think the US would be better served by pulling out completely and focusing the time and money on securing the southern border for starters and at the same time shutting the US to 'certain' nationalities and religions. This would also save money being wasted on airline security.
[...] Obama Says Stimulus Worked, Created Jobs… Here’s a Reminder of the Waste [...]
The economy is still in the tank Bo. However you continue to get your government check for the time being so you have no idea. Is your check for some mental disability that you have?
People we are feeding the troll. He is use to a steady diet of BS and Hope and Change, when you feed them reality they get all confused and probably throw up.
I think I may have been the only one to understand your humor here. You are being funny right? Cuz I laughed out loud at your post.
Yeah peteee363, they're called Real American Patriots! and they're all over America, of all Stripes.They hate Socialism and love The Constitution, and the Freedoms and Fairness that go with it!
They will produce more return than any other Investment! and they won't trade Amnesty (path to citizenship b.s) for Votes to spend more of our tax dollars!
I hope the Repubs form a Task Force to FOCUS on ACORN because they still have millions of Fraudulant Voters Registered! They are still on the books! Sen Ryan? Sen Jeffers? Sen Coryn? Sen Kyl? Gov Palin? Sen Bachmann? Please SCRUB ACORN'S BOOKS CLEAN! Urgent!
Wow. Thank you! I do have a tear in my eye. I've forwarded your link all around the country. I sure miss that Patriotic feeling, and I miss Ronald Reagan. He saved our country. Your link lowered my blood pressure. This Administration is making our Country sick, literally. Best to you Washington76 !
Those add up to about $1.3 billion. No small change, but I think a better argument would be the Swiss cheese talking point of "saved or created."
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