Obama's Fuzzy Math: He's 1.2 Million Short of the 1.6 Million Jobs He Were Claimed Created by Stimulus

The Obama Administration isn't only liberal with their policies, but they are liberal with their counting, as well:

A private-sector company that tracks government contracts says President Obama's $787 billion stimulus bill has created 407,000 private-sector jobs this year, much less than the 1.6 million jobs the Obama administration has claimed.

At the same time, the company's analysts are finding that many businesses are changing their strategies to take advantage of the government funds being dispersed.

Analysts at Onvia, a Seattle-based company, who monitor the government's contracting activity using specialized software say $37.5 billion of stimulus money has flowed to the private sector to date.

"This is quite different than the government's numbers, which claim as many as 1.6 million jobs already created," Onvia said. "The difference is due to the fact that the feds can track only two layers of stimulus money flow, far short of the full paper trail required. Therefore, a lot of guesswork and extrapolations go into the government's math, and the jobs numbers are forecasts more than anything else."

Onvia Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer Eric Gillespie explained to The Washington Times, "What the federal government is recording is largely dollars that have left the Beltway. They aren't tracking the projects and contracts on the ground."

"They don't know if those dollars landed on the ground because their reporting requirements say they only have to track two layers beyond the federal level," he said. "So if it goes from the state to a county, they will know that. But if it goes from a county to a city or from a county to a contractor there is no legal requirement for them to track that, which is why the federal views are latent and they get it three, six, or 12 months late."

So, Obama is basically guessing on how many jobs have been actually created by his deficit spendapalooza. He doesn't have any proof to back his claims.

This is why we need an investigation on what is really going on with the dispersion of the stimulus money. We can't totally trust this Administration's guestimations and suspect record keeping. We must know for sure whether Obama and the Democrats kept their promises to put America back to work or wasting all of our money of worthless government programs, yet again.

Joe Wilson (R-SC) Plans to Call For Investigation of Where Stimulus Funds Went

Rep. Wilson has had another "you lie" moment. This time he calls them out for misleading the public on the amount of stimulus successes there really are:

The South Carolina Republican who has gained a reputation for his outspokenness is calling for an official government audit of President Obama's $787 billion stimulus bill.

"After several days of reports of stimulus inconsistencies, the administration still hasn't explained where the money is really being spent," Rep. Joe Wilson said in a statement. "Their silence on this important issue is deafening."

He is referring to reports that money is being sent to districts that don't exist and organizations like AARP receiving payoffs for their support.

He delivered this ultimatum to the White House and the Democrats, in response:

He said if a panel is not appointed by Dec. 1, he will call for an independent examination of the "reporting inaccuracies of every stimulus dollar appropriated."

The main problem is the Obama administration promised that the government Web site, www.recovery.gov, would show exactly where the money was going to "create or save" jobs, but the site is using unreliable data.

I agree that we need to go through their stimulus spending with a fine-toothed comb. In fact, I believe that is what Obama promised to do in the campaign. Isn't it? Alas, this seems to be, yet another, campaign promise broken.

Look Who's Getting Porkulus Money: AARP Sells Out Seniors For $18 Million

After hesitating to endorse Obamacare because of the majority of its constituents are against it, seniors have been fleeing the left-leaning organization in droves. Now, we have found out why they would throw grandma and grandpa under the bus for Obamacare:

AARP, which has given its full-throated support to Democratic health care legislation even though seniors remain largely opposed, received an $18 million grant in the economic stimulus package for a job training program that has not created any jobs, according to the Obama administration's Recovery.gov website.

The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), according to the website, is "a work training program for unemployed mature workers who are 55+ and are at or below 125% of the poverty guidelines." So far, $6.5 million has been spent on the program, and it has not reported creating any jobs.

Not only did they benefit from the passage of the Porkulus bill, they, also, seem to benefit Obamacare, as well:

As it turns out, AARP is also in a position to benefit financially if the health care legislation passes, because seniors losing benefits as a result of cuts to Medicare Advantage will be forced to buy Medigap policies, which is the main source of AARP revenue.

The chief executive of the AARP, Byron Rand, definitely as an ulterior motive behind his organization's endorsement of a plan that raises costs and lowers the quality of care for seniors, the people that he is supposed to represent and do what is in their best interest.

Great News: Recovery.org Says There Are 30K Saved Jobs & $6.4B Sent to 440 Districts That Don't Exist

Do they have no shame or are they really that bad at math? Recovery.org greatly over exaggerated the "success" of the stimulus bill:

The government Web site that promised to show exactly where the $787 billion in stimulus spending was going to "create or save" jobs is allocating billions of tax dollars to hundreds of congressional districts that don’t exist.

Researchers at the Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity found 440 “phantom districts” listed on Recovery.gov, consuming $6.4 billion and creating or saving nearly 30,000 jobs. Their findings are listed HERE.

For example, Recovery.gov shows 12 districts, using up more than $2.7 billion, in Washington, D.C, which only has one congressional district.

Recovery.gov also shows 2,893.9 jobs created with $194,537,372 in stimulus funding in New Hampshire’s 00 congressional district. But, there is no such thing.

The site also shows $1,471,518 going to New Hampshire’s 6th congressional district, $1,033,809 to the 4th congressional district and $124,774 to the 27th congressional district. In fact, New Hampshire only has two congressional districts; inviting confusion about where the money listed for the 00, 4th, 6th and 27th districts is going.

We don't really have enough money for the districts that we do have. Do we need to be sending it to districts that we don't have? Seriously, where is all the money going to? I guess it was a self-fulfilling prophecy, when Biden said that there would be some mistakes made. With them misspending our money on such at such an obscene level, why do them want them to take control of 1/6th of the economy through the healthcare bill.

Tapper Exposes White House's "100 Days, 100 Projects" Fabrication, Severely Embellishes Accomplishments

Here is a patial transcript from the conversation between ABC's Jake Tapper and White House spokesman Robert Gibbs. Tapper pointed out an embellishment in the booklet that the White House released to brag about the "successes" of the Recovery Act after 100 days:

Tapper: I looked at your "100 Days, 100 Projects" booklet yesterday, and the very first one says, quote, "Using $27 million of Recovery Act funding a public housing development in D.C., the Regency House, has undergone a green retrofit.  As part of this upgrade, the building installed solar panels, green roof, rainwater collection system, energy-efficient lighting, as well as water-conserving toilets, showerheads and faucets." But when I called the D.C. Housing Authority, they said only $59,000 was spent of stimulus money, not $27 million, and of these seven things mentioned, only two of the seven were actually done --

GIBBS:  I think the mistake -- mistake in that one, as you blogged about earlier, took a series of different projects in a cut- and-paste into one.

TAPPER:  OK.  So it wasn't as clear and -- it wasn't as accurate as it could have been?

GIBBS:  I -- I think that's accurate to say, yes.

"It wasn't as accurate as it could have been?" That is not just a slight understatement. It was an outright lie and total misrepresentation of the truth.

There is a huge difference between $27 M and $59 K. It's not just a slight miscalculation. Also, their claim of seven projects finished is a complete fabrication.

Obama's White House seems to be trying to rewrite history to make himself look good. Most of the press is so in love with him that they don't even think to thouroughly investigate his claims.

I understand why he feels like must do this. His stimulus package is a complete boondoggle, and everyone knows it. Now, he must do his best to portray it as beneficial to the economy when most of the evidence suggests otherwise.

After all, his porkulus package isn't even stimulus by definition. Stimulus is supposed to be that a massive amount of money is thrown into the economy in a short amount of time. The reality is that most of the money won't be spent for years.

Do Democrats Even Understand Keynes' Theory of Stimulus?

Here's a follow-up to the porkulus bill's ineffectiveness:

Nearly three months after President Obama approved a $787 billion economic stimulus package, intended to create or save jobs, the federal government has paid out less than 6 percent of the money, largely in the form of social service payments to states.

Although administration officials say the program is right on schedule, they have actually spent relatively little so far.

Dare I ask again, what was the rush Pelosi, Reid, and Obama?

By definition this isn't even stimulus. It's just added waste.

Does this make 0-for-3 for Obama's economic policies? Chrysler has already went into Ch. 11 and GM is close behind. Now, the results are coming in from Obama and the Democrats' porkulus bill. It's a big "F". There has been no signs of economic improvement as a result of the Democrats' spending orgy.

After $1 Trillion Porkulus Bill: Nothing Has Changed

More Good news from the White House:

President Obama's chief economics forecaster said on Sunday that the country was not likely to see positive employment growth until 2010, even if the economy began to grow later this year. Speaking on C-SPAN, Christina Romer, chairwoman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, said that she expected the G.D.P. to begin growing in the fourth quarter of this year. Ben S. Bernanke, the Federal Reserve chairman, made a similar prediction last week.

But Ms. Romer also said that she expected unemployment to rise even after the economy turns, saying that the G.D.P. has to grow at a rate of about 2.5 percent before unemployment will fall. Before that happens, she said, it is "unfortunately pretty realistic" that the unemployment rate could reach 9.5 percent. A reasonable estimate for the G.D.P.'s growth rate in 2010, she said, is three percent. Robert Reich, who served as labor secretary under President Bill Clinton and advised the Obama campaign, said on Sunday that the rate of growth would have to be higher - 4.5 percent - to reverse rising unemployment.

So, the almost $1 Trillion in Porkulus Bill that was supposed to save and create millions of jobs and jumpstart the economy has done absolutely nothing.

To call this a stimulus bill is a joke. Keynes himself wouldn't even call it stimulus. Most of the money hasn't been spent yet and won't be until 2010 and 2011. Again, what was the rush in getting the bill crammed down our grandchildren's throats?

This just another failure of the young Obama presidency.

What does Romer conclude will get us out of this recession:

The economic recovery, Ms. Romer said, will be driven by business investment in sectors like renewable energy rather than consumer spending. She echoed the views of other economists who expect a long-term economic shift.

So, business investment not consumer spending will bring the economy back. That's what the conservatives have been saying this whole time. Tax cuts has been proven to inspire business investment not massive government spending.

CNN Reporter Misses Spendapalooza Forest For Tax Trees

Objective CNN Reporter to Chicago Tea Party Attendee: ‘Why Are You Complaining? Don’t You Know Obama Gave Your State Billions in the Stimulus!?”

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http://www.redstate.com/jeff_emanuel/2009/04/15/objective-cnn-reporter-to-chicago-tea-party-attendee-why-are-you-complaining-dont-you-know-obama-gave-your-state-billions-in-the-stimulus/

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My Thoughts

It's not like Obama took it out of his own pocket. He took $ from my kids and grandkids to waste on meaningless pork projects.

As Emanuel pointed out, it's not just about taxes. It's about the misuse of our tax dollars by both Democrats and Republicans.

The bailouts that were started by Bush and expanded by Obama was just the start. The porkulus bill that will only stimulate the growth of the Democratic party with no real help for the economy was beyond atrocious.

It's about the national debt doubling in the Bush years and on pace to triple during the Obama years assuming he's re-elected.

Barney Frank Derides Price (R-GA), GOP About Having "Psychological Disorder"

My Thoughts

I have a few comments. First of all, Franks says that he isn't qualified to say what kind of psychological disorder the Republicans have, but apparently he's qualified to diagnose that they have a disorder. What? If he isn't qualified to diagnose what specific disorder it is, he can't be qualified to diagnose that they have one in the first place.

Second, Franks keeps on saying that Rep. Price is missing the point, and it fighting an issue that is over a month old. In doing so, Franks implies that Price and the Republicans are trying to stop the bill that cancels out the Dodd-AIG amendment.

However, it seems to be Rep. Franks that is missing the point. It isn't that they are against it. It is that they want to keep this type of thing from happening again and make Obama, Pelosi, and the Democrats' keep the promise they made of being the most transparent government ever.

They want time to be able to read 1,000 page bills to find stuff that shouldn't be in there and take it out. Congress just wasted time having to draw up another bill canceling out the Dodd-AIG amendment that wouldn't have been wasted with a little more prudence on the Democrats' part. If the Democrats wouldn't have been in a hurry to shove their porkulus bill down our throats before we knew what they were really up to, there would've been no need to "beat the dead horse". Obama promised that any bill before Congress will be available to the public for at least five days before it was signed into law. That was definitely not the case with the porkulus bill.

Law of Unintended Consequences Hits Obama's Porkulus Bill, Spending Creates More Lobbyist Jobs

Porkulus: The Lobbyist Full Employment Act posted at 12:15 pm on March 30, 2009
by Ed Morrissey

The economy is crashing. Unemployment is higher than anytime in the last 26 years.  Barack Obama has promised to save and create jobs, and according to the Washington Post, he’s succeeding — but in a peculiar way:

"Last month, just before Valentine’s Day, business at Holland & Knight was so slow that the law firm laid off more than 240 lawyers and staff, victims of the economic downturn that has dented Washington’s reputation for being recession-proof.

"But one area of the multi-service firm was thriving. Rich Gold, head of the firm’s public policy and regulation practice, was hiring more than a dozen lobbyists, bringing his federal lobbying team to about 70, every one of them scrambling to stay on top of provisions and changes in the mammoth economic recovery package that was barreling through Congress. They were handling about 240 clients, including 50 new ones, all eager to win a portion of the stimulus that President Obama wanted passed. …

"Put another way, Main Street’s gloom has been K Street’s boon.

"The $787 billion stimulus package — along with an ambitious new federal budget, bank bailouts and the beginning of a regulatory overhaul — has succeeded in stimulating the economy along Washington’s avenue of influence. In the months since the November election, more than 2,000 cities, companies and associations have hired lobbyists to help them push their agendas on Capitol Hill and at the White House, easily outpacing such numbers after the previous two elections, according to disclosure records.

"Nearly every industry and every corner of the country has an issue, especially with so much money at stake."

Irony alert!  Obama campaigned on limiting lobbyist influence, and imposed a lobbyist ban at the White House so onerous that he’s been forced to issue dozens of waivers to it.  His stimulus team promulgated an unconstitutional restriction on communications with lobbyists that looks more like a scheme to avoid prostitution entrapment.  Yet K Street hasn’t been limited at all — in fact, they’re positively energized.

Why?  Government funding attracts lobbyists, and the more there is, the more you’ll get.  When government takes taxes out of the pockets of its citizens for the purposes of redistribution, especially on the massive scale of Porkulus, the rewards make it worth hiring people to get some of the money back.  As more and more people decide to organize to get their hands on government project money, more and more lobbyists get hired to represent them — and they make more and more connections with politicians in Washington to ensure their success.

If Obama really wanted to eliminate lobbyist influence, he would cut government spending and starve lobbyists out of K Street.  That’s why the Republican Revolution went off the rails when Tom DeLay concocted the K Street Project in the mid-1990s, purportedly to create a permanent Republican majority.  In order to kiss up to K Street, DeLay and the GOP had to guarantee an increasing flow of government funds as spoils to split for lobbyists and their clients. Obama’s Porkulus simply takes the same approach, magnified exponentially.

The explosion of employment on K Street is ironic … and utterly predictable.

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http://hotair.com/archives/2009/03/30/porkulus-the-lobbyist-full-employment-act/
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My Thoughts

Really Ed said it the best here. I don't really have anything more to say. It is too important of a story to ignore.

AP: 38 Days Late, $787 Billion Short

Bold claims of stimulus jobs can't be measured

By CALVIN WOODWARD, Associated Press
Thu Mar 26, 5:08 am ET

WASHINGTON – If space exploration were conducted like the job forecasts under the government's new stimulus law, man surely would have missed the moon. But this isn't rocket science.

No promise from President Barack Obama is more important to the wounded economy than his vow to save or create some 3.5 million jobs in two years. In support of that bottom line, the government even tells states how many jobs they can expect to see from the spending and tax cuts.

But precise trajectories are impossible to plot and even approximations can be wildly off, as the authors of these forecasts acknowledge, usually more readily than the policymakers who use them to promote the plan.

Flip through the stacks of economic analyses underpinning the stimulus plan and you find a lot of throat-clearing qualifications and angst:

_"Very uncertain."
_"Difficult to distinguish among alternative estimates."
_"We confess to considerable uncertainty."
_"Subject to substantial margins of error."

In other words, who really knows?

Economic modeling may prove to be a haywire navigational device in this crisis.

"Large fiscal stimulus is rarely attempted," Douglas Elmendorf, director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, told lawmakers. "For those reasons, some economists remain skeptical that there will be any significant effects, while others expect very large ones."

Zero to nirvana? Even for economists, who routinely differ among themselves, that's a range beyond the norm.

The disconnect between theory and real life became evident when Obama pitched his plan at a Caterpillar factory before its passage and held out hope the federal stimulus money would let the heavy equipment maker rehire some of the thousands being let go.

Although that might be the eventual result when money courses through the pipeline, Caterpillar last week announced 2,400 more layoffs.

By necessity, stimulus projections were put together in ways that bear little resemblance to a family's budget.

Assumptions are piled atop assumptions, rules of thumb, historical experience, theory and more than a little hope.

A family budget is a set of building blocks of income and expenses, simple addition from the bottom up.

The stimulus projections are top down, a matter of economic multipliers and complex division infused with things that may or may not happen.

The government estimated how much the spending and tax cuts might grow the economy. Then that effect was translated into projected job growth overall. Then that theoretical pie was divided into chunks to show what each state and sector of the economy might get out of it.

All of this without knowing, for example, how exactly states will spend money they get from Washington. Or how money going directly to a bridge or manufacturer will support other jobs in the communities.

Among the assumptions used in White House and congressional forecasting:

_Every one-point gain in the gross domestic product will translate into 1 million jobs.

_For every two jobs directly created by the stimulus spending, a third job will be indirectly created. The 2-to-1 ratio is rough and varies considerably by sector.

_For each dollar states receive from Washington, they will decide to use 60 cents to avoid spending cuts, 30 cents to avoid tax increases and 10 cents to reduce drawdowns of their rainy day funds.

_A tax cut has only one-quarter of the value of a spending increase of the same size, in terms of expanding the economy.

_Every dollar spent on unemployment benefits is worth $1.63 of quick economic expansion. Food stamps boost the economy even more.

The overarching goal — and promise — of saving or creating 3.5 million jobs is built on vagaries such as these.

Job creation is counted in different ways, but none that can isolate the stimulus package from the multitude of forces shaping the economy.

And there's no reliable way to measure how many jobs the stimulus will stop from disappearing. Companies don't report layoffs avoided by federal aid.

Instead, forecasters estimated how low the economy might have sunk without the stimulus, and how high that would drive unemployment up. The idea is to have about 3.5 million more people working than might have been the case if the government had done nothing.

Economists on Obama's team projected that the stimulus will mean an unemployment rate nearly two points lower at the end of next year than it would have been absent the plan.

Far below the theoretical, in the grounded world of road repairs, health technology projects and all the other contracts made possible by the federal spending, actual jobs will be created. Those building blocks of employment will be tracked. But under White House guidance to federal departments, they are not to be reported. The reasoning: They are "likely to be inconsistent with macroeconomic estimates."

"Uniform reporting requirements for estimates of job creation will be specified at a later time," said a February memo from the White House Office Management and Budget.

By the end of Obama's term, the true effects of the stimulus might best be measured family by family, in the way famously posed by Ronald Reagan days before the election that brought him to office:

"It might be well if you ask yourself: Are you better off than you were four years ago?"

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090326/ap_on_go_pr_wh/stimulus_jobs_numbers
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My Thoughts

Good article with good analysis. Too bad it is way too late. The fact that Obama and his administration were likely making up numbers as they went along would have been useful two months ago. Now, it just proves that the Mainstream Media often buries stories like this until legislation that promotes their liberal agenda is already law and is too late to stop. This another case of media malpractice.

Ohio: Stimulus Money Wasted On "Suicide Bridge"

Y-Bridge will be fenced
Stimulus funds to be used to try to curtail suicide attempts. Some call plan wasteful By Stephanie Warsmith, Rick Armon, and Bob Downing Beacon Journal staff writers

Published on Friday, Mar 27, 2009
One man jumped to his death off the All-America Bridge this year.

Two more used the Akron bridge — more commonly known as the Y-Bridge — to commit suicide in 2008.

Akron hopes to curtail future deaths on what has been dubbed ''Suicide Bridge'' by installing a fence.

The controversial fencing — some have been pushing for it, while others think it's a waste of money — was among the local projects the state approved Thursday for federal stimulus funds.

''It just makes a safer Akron for everybody,'' said Robert Conley, who has been urging the fencing since his son, Kevin, jumped off the bridge to his death in 2006.

''It just makes a safer Akron for everybody,'' said Robert Conley, who has been urging the fencing since his son, Kevin, jumped off the bridge to his death in 2006.

Akron received the most stimulus funding of any local community — $21 million for four projects, including $7.5 million for improvements to the Y-Bridge. (The fencing is expected to cost $1 million to $1.5 million; the rest will go toward new decking for the 28-year-old span.)

Other area projects given the green light include the replacement of the Brady Lake Bridge in Portage County, improvements to an outdated railroad crossing in Macedonia and resurfacing Interstate 77 in Stark County south of Canton.

These were among 149 infrastructure projects approved by theOhio Department of Transportation, which is responsible for awarding $774 million in federal stimulus funds.

In awarding this first group of funding, the state tried to provide funds to every region and to support ''unique regional economic assets,'' Gov. Ted Strickland said.

Cleveland had the largest project — $200 million for a new, five-lane westbound Interstate 90 Innerbelt bridge. Another $200 million in state and federal dollars are expected to be spent on the project.

Akron also was awarded funds for improvements to South Main Street from Firestone Boulevard to Waterloo Road — a project tied to the new Bridgestone Firestone technical center — and for Frank Boulevard from White Pond Drive to Ayers Avenue. The city also got money to design a new State Street bridge.

Mayor Don Plusquellic, who was among a small group of mayors who often traveled to Washington, D.C., to discuss the stimulus legislation with federal leaders, was happy with Akron's share. He estimated the projects will create or retain 240 jobs.

''This is consistent with the intent of the president and Congress when they passed the recovery act,'' said Plusquellic, who has been critical of the stimulus requests of other local communities. ''This is for something we actually need in this community.''

The projects will keep jobs, add jobs and keep people safe, Plusquellic said.

Also in Summit County, the state approved funding for improvements to the Norfolk Southern railroad crossing at Twinsburg Road in Macedonia.

The changes will help create a federally recognized ''quiet zone'' at the tracks, which are located in a residential area where Macedonia, Hudson, Northfield Center Township and Boston Heights meet. A quiet zone is an area where trains don't blow their whistles.

''This is exactly what we needed, and now we can move full-speed ahead with the project,'' said Hudson resident Greg McNeil, who has been pushing for the quiet zone for about a year.

The project, which includes installing medians to control and slow motorists, could be completed in the next six months.

Medina was the only local county selected by the state for stimulus funds for transit projects in rural areas. The county plans to use the approximately $3 million it received to design and build a transit facility, buy five new buses and repair other buses.

''We're very grateful for the money,'' said Mike Salamone, chief of Medina County Transit.

The current bus garage, described as being in ''poor shape,'' is off Meyers Road in Medina Township. The new, 19,000-square-foot garage will be on county-owned land on state Route 162 in Lafayette Township.

Portage County received funds for one project: a bridge replacement on Brady Lake Road outside of Kent in Franklin Township.

''We struck gold again,'' said Portage County Engineer Michael Marozzi.

The county previously received $1.7 million in state funds. The latest $1.1 million might be enough to pay the balance, though the county might have to ante up some money, Marozzi said.

The new, 166-foot-long, two-span bridge will cross the CSX tracks and Breakneck Creek. It is used by about 6,200 vehicles per day and is a shortcut for local motorists between Kent and Ravenna.

Local officials have been warned to spend the federal stimulus funds wisely.

Some would argue Akron's Y-Bridge project would be a waste.

One person, responding to a request for stimulus comments on Akron's Web site, wrote, ''Please do not build a fence on the Y-Bridge.''

Plusquellic, however, thinks this is a good use of the funds. He said anyone whose vehicle has been hit with a rock thrown from a bridge can appreciate the need for a fence. Plus, he said, if the bridge were built now, federal regulations would require fencing.

''Everywhere else that receives federal money, this is the standard,'' he said. ''Why should we be different?''

Conley, the Akron father whose son jumped from the bridge, said the expense is worth it if it makes anyone rethink suicide.

''It might force them to look at another avenue,'' he said. ''Maybe they get help. We know suicide is a temporary moment in people's lives. If they get past that temporary moment, maybe it doesn't happen.''

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http://www.ohio.com/news/top_stories/41958387.html
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My Thoughts

''This is consistent with the intent of the president and Congress when they passed the recovery act. This is for something we actually need in this community.''-Akron Mayor

No, this not what they had in mind. It creates very few jobs and no shot of long term job oppurtunities. No, you really don't need the fence.

''We struck gold again,''-County Engineer Michael Marozzi.

That's nice.

First of all, how is a fence going to stop people from committing suicide. Even if they could jump off the bridge, they would be more than likely find another way. So, their reasoning for using stimulus money for the fence is bogus. Using that fact alone it's a waste.

Second, they are getting $7.5 million for improvements to the Y-Bridge. The fence is expected to cost only $1-1.5 million. What about the rest of the money? They are going to use it for new decking for the 28-year-old span. By definition, it isn't stimulus, if it isn't used immediately. Waiting 28 years to spend the money is just spending money.

Finally, they receied $21 mil for four projects. According to the Akron mayor, the stimulus would create only 240 jobs. That would come to a grand total of $875,000 of taxpayer money per job.

Orlando: Tea Party Draws Over 4,000, MSM & AP Ignores

Orlando 'Tea Party' rally draws more than 4,000

Sun 22 Mar 2009 04:45
By Helen Eckinger
Sentinel Staff Writer

Valerie Rike, 52, (left) with sister Christy Bishop, 59, attend the 'Orlando Tea Party,' a conservative rally Saturday at Lake Eola, downtown Orlando.

Singer Lloyd Marcus told the crowd assembled in Lake Eola Park on Saturday that he was going to give them his take on the first days of the Obama administration.

Then he shrieked.

That pretty much summed up the mood in the park Saturday afternoon, when more than 4,000 people attended the Orlando Tea Party, a conservative rally aimed at expressing discontent with Washington.

"This is maybe the greatest single gathering of God-fearing patriots in the history of Orlando, Florida," local conservative radio host Bud Hedinger, who emceed the event, told the crowd.

The attendees, many of whom said they'd heard about the rally on Hedinger's radio show, brandished flags and homemade signs bearing slogans such as "Repeal the pork or our bacon is cooked" and "Obama lied, liberty died."

"We're really scared about what's happening in our country," said Debby Whisenand, 71, of Largo in Pinellas County. She waved a sign that read "The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money" on one side, and "You can't blame Bush anymore" on the other.

Her feelings were shared by Lisa Feroli, one of the event's organizers, who said that a similar fear motivated her to e-mail Hedinger with the idea for the Orlando Tea Party.

"The goal was to get people united, to let people know that they aren't alone in their feelings on despair," Feroli said. "We want to speak out against the push toward socialization that we feel is taking place in our country."

Several speakers addressed the crowd, estimated by Orlando police and event organizers at 4,200, on a variety of topics, including gun rights, freedom of speech, the dangers of communism and, most prevalently, the economy, especially the Obama administration's bailout plan.

"We have had enough of massive government-driven bailout using our money," Hedinger said, prompting the crowd to start chanting "U.S.A." over and over.

The country's economic woes weighed heavily on attendees, such as Ed Squire, 52, of Winter Springs. Holding a sign that read "Obama — he's robbin U.S. not Robin Hood," he said that he was worried about the current rate of government spending.

"There's absolutely no way as a nation that we can sustain that kind of spending," Squire said.

Several members of the crowd said they'd recently been laid off, including Ross Iannarelli, 66, of Port Orange, who said he'd just lost his job at an electrical-equipment company.

"They need to shove that bum out," he said, referring to President Obama. "I hate seeing them spend my grandchildren's money."

Glenn Austin, 52, and his wife, Frankie, 43, of Oviedo, also said they were anxious about the economy. They chose to express their worries, however, in a rather novel way: They wrapped banners calling for the end of the Federal Reserve around the tiny waists of their Chihuahua, Pepper, and miniature pinscher-Chihuahua mix, Peanut.

"Everything's gone to the dogs," Frankie Austin said.

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http://mobile.orlandosentinel.com/inf/infomo;JSESSIONID=19BDFD88C0C2E3943898.1451?view=top_stories_item&feed:a=sentinel_1min&feed:c=topstories&feed:i=45717776&nopaging=1
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My Thoughts

The MSM covered anti-war protests on the anniversary of the invasion of Iraq and the anti-AIG protest in front of the homes of AIG employees that had more reporters in attendance than actual protesters, but there hasn't been one peep out of the AP and very little out of any one else in the MSM about the anti-porkulus "tea parties" that have drawn thousands of protesters. With all of this bias by the press being obvious to everyone, why are they so clueless as to why papers are going out of business at an increasingly rapid pace.

As Expected Alaska Democrats Chastise Palin For Stimulus Money Rejection

Alaska Democrats pile on Palin over stimulus money
By DAN JOLING Associated Press Writer
Mar 21, 5:30 AM EDT

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- Gov. Sarah Palin reinforced her conservative credentials when she announced she would not accept nearly one-third of the federal stimulus money offered to the state, but Democrats are charging the move will hurt Alaskans.

Palin on Thursday said she would accept only 69 percent of the estimated $930 million dollars that could flow to the state. Palin said she would accept money that did not create strings binding the state in the future.

Palin's harshest critics said Friday that in rejecting the stimulus money, the former GOP vice presidential candidate was making a play to match other Republican governors who may run for president in 2012 run, such as South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.

"We think it is outrageous that we have a governor who is willing to turn down Alaskans' fair share of federal stimulus money, money that would go to education, public safety, unemployment resources, health programs," said Patti Higgins, chairwoman of the Alaska Democratic Party. "It is very clear that the governor is doing this just to further her own narrow political national agenda and ambitions."

But Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell said Palin had no political agenda for the stimulus money and did not "reject" it. Instead, Parnell said, any "growing government-type" money will be considered in the legislative process, he said.

"The whole purpose of the governor not requesting all these operating budget funds is so that this very discussion could occur," Parnell said. "It could be done publicly. I think this is healthy for us."

South Carolina Gov. Sanford last week said he may reject nearly a quarter of the stimulus money available to his state. Perry, Jindal, Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour have said they would reject a portion of the money that would expand unemployment benefits to those not currently eligible to receive them.

Palin on Thursday was free to make the announcement to "not accept" stimulus money, and enjoy the publicity that ensued, knowing the Alaska Legislature likely will do so. Senate President Gary Stevens, a Republican, signaled that probability last month.

"I think the governor has taken the high road here and I appreciate that," he said at a press conference Feb. 17. "She's spoken her mind and made it clear she's concerned that we may be getting ourselves in trouble down the road by taking monies that we can't sustain. I think I'd rather personally take the low road here and say I don't want to leave any money on the table."

Any money that will help Alaskans, even if it cannot be sustained, would be advantageous, Stevens said.

Palin said Alaska would not be "bound by federal strings in exchange for dollars" and would not dig itself a deeper hole in two years when the federal funds were gone.

"For instance, in order to accept what look like attractive energy funds, our local communities would be required to adopt uniform building codes," she said. "Government would then be required to police those codes. These types of funds are not sensible for Alaska."

A Democrat who wants Palin's job, Bob Poe, said former U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens had bragged for years about scoring federal money for Alaska.

"Federal spending represents about one-third of Alaska's economy each year," Poe said. "The federal government owns 59 percent of Alaska, and Sarah Palin is rejecting this $288 million because she thinks it will give the federal government too much control over Alaska? Personally, I find that kind of incomprehensible."

Matt Claman, Anchorage's Democratic mayor, and Carol Comeau, the superintendent of schools, stayed away from Palin's intentions at a news conference Friday but restated why not accepting more stimulus money would hurt.

Unlike previous federal grants, Claman said, there's no obligation to continue programs started with federal seed money.

Claman said $7.2 million in statewide public safety money would not put more officers on the street but would pay for programs helping victims of domestic violence, a measure that might prevent future crime.

Comeau, who oversees a school district larger than Seattle's, said Anchorage schools were in line for $12.9 million in special education money and a similar amount for Title I programs that serve economically disadvantaged children. The latter money, she said, could give educators latitude to try "innovative best practices" to help students at risk of failing. Comeau's personal preference: an expansion of pre-kindergarten programs to prepare economically disadvantaged children for learning.

Expansion would not saddle the district with additional costs two years from now if the federal money ends, she said. If the programs were successful, she said, district planners could swap out something else.

"That's like any grant we ever get," Comeau said.

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http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/P/PALIN_STIMULUS?SITE=PASUN&SECTION=H OME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
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My Thoughts

Palin is a force that the Democrats are going to deal with in order for them not to lose power. They will attack her for this as hard as they can.

Sarah Looks Ahead to 2012; Rejects 30% Stimulus Money

Palin Rejects Nearly 30 Percent of Stimulus Funds
Alaska governor said Thursday that she would accept only 69 percent of the estimated $930 million dollars in federal stimulus funds that could flow to the state.
AP Friday, March 20, 2009

JUNEAU, Alaska -- It's up to the Alaska Legislature to request hundreds of millions of dollars in federal stimulus funds from the federal government.

Gov. Sarah Palin said Thursday that she would accept only 69 percent of the estimated $930 million dollars that could flow to the state, including $514 million for capital projects and $128 million for a hike in Medicaid reimbursement.

Palin said she would accept money that is "timely, targeted and temporary" and does not create strings that will bind the state in the future.

"I can't attest to every fund that's being offered the state in the stimulus package will be used to create jobs and stimulate the economy, so I'm requesting only those things that I know will," Palin said at a news conference at the Capitol. "Public discussion will have to ensue on all those other dollars that some will say 'you left on the table."'

Some other Republican governors have also announced reservations about accepting the federal money, particularly when it comes to expanding jobless benefits.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry last week announced that he turned down $555 million of federal stimulus funding that would expand the state's unemployment benefits. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has said he would not accept nearly $100 million to expand unemployment benefits. And South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford has said he only wants to use the federal money to pay down debt.

Other Republican governors including Charlie Crist of Florida and Arnold Schwarzenegger of California have welcomed the stimulus bounty.

Palin's rejection of $160 million for education drew a rebuke from Anchorage Superintendent of Schools Carol Comeau, who said she was shocked and disappointed.

"We believe that we can make very good use of the funds, not only in job preservation but also in adding new positions to ultimately use these funds to increase student achievement for our neediest children," she said in a news release.

Comeau pointed to money that would have gone into training for special education teachers and additional programs and support for needy preschool children.

The governor has until April 3 to formally request funds from the stimulus package. It's unclear if legislatures are under the same deadline but Alaska lawmakers likely will stick to the same date to be safe.

Overall, Palin rejected almost $288 million and many, such as Senate Finance Committee Co-Chairman Bert Stedman, were surprised.

"I think the Legislature will take a good hard look at the impact on Alaska," said Stedman, a Republican. "The governor might have a broader view."

With so little time left before the April 3 deadline, Stedman expects the Legislature will ask for the full amount, and if they determine later that it would have adverse long-term impacts on the state, to decline it then.

Alaska has been somewhat cushioned from the effects of the global recession, but the state faces a $2.6 billion deficit over this year and next from low oil prices and declining oil production on the North Slope. Oil makes up about 90 percent of state revenues.

Sen. Hollis French, a Democrat, said the governor was breaking with a long tradition in Alaska.

"The state has made its business to get as many federal dollars as possible to help us create an infrastructure and build our state," he said. "I just really think the governor made a mistake here."

Palin on Thursday sent a spending bill to the Legislature laying out funding for capital projects that she is willing to accept, on top of the $262 million transportation stimulus spending bill that is already under debate.

The additional money Palin said she would accept includes $116 million for a University of Alaska Fairbanks research vessel, $68 million for water and sewer projects, $39 million for public housing projects and $21 million for education and job training.

Palin did not request funding for energy efficiency and conservation block grants, an expansion of unemployment insurance eligibility, weatherization money, employment services, among others.

The five-member conservative Republican minority in the Senate supported the governor's decision. Sen. Con Bunde, a Republican, compared the package to having too much to drink."

A good time may be had by all, but the hangover the next day, and the consequences of what you did while you were drunk, may be with you for a long, long time," Bunde said.

Palin said she was acting in the best interests of Alaskans but Democratic Rep. Les Gara questioned the motives of the former Republican vice presidential candidate.

"I read it that she's going to be running for national office and has a campaign position that unfortunately conflicts with the state's interests," he said.

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http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/20/palin-rejects-nearly-percent-stimulus-funds/
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My Thoughts

Good for her. As ALLAHPUNDIT said, "She’s up for re-election next year and this move won’t do her any favors inside the state, so I can only assume it’s a sign that she’s keeping her options open for 2012." I believe that in the end she is doing the right thing for Alaska by not increasing their dependence on federal money.

First Hope, Then Fear, Now Hope Again, Only Constant With Obama Is Change

Obama Takes on Role of Confidence-Builder in Chief
President mounted a stout defense of his blueprint to overhaul the economy Thursday, declaring the national crisis is "not as bad as we think" and his plans will speed recovery.
AP Thursday, March 12, 2009

WASHINGTON -- President Obama is embracing a mantle of confidence-builder in chief. Whether he is meeting with his own economic advisers or worried business leaders, his message is meant to be calm and reassuring -- even in the wake of more bad economic news.

Obama will have another opportunity to assert his optimism after he meets Friday with Paul Volcker, the former Federal Reserve chairman who now guides the president's economic recovery advisory board. Volcker was preparing to brief Obama and his economic team on how the $787 billion stimulus package is working.

Speaking to a gathering of the nation's CEOs on Thursday, Obama defended his plans for pulling the economy out of a downward spiral, saying that his long-term view gives him reason to maintain optimism despite an uptick in unemployment and falling economic indicators.

"I've never bought into these Malthusian, woe, Chicken Little, the earth is falling. I tend to be pretty optimistic," said Obama, once a long-shot candidate for the White House. "I wouldn't be here if I weren't pretty optimistic."

The president boldly declared that the national crisis is "not as bad as we think" and that he has seen public opinion seesaw without logic.

"A smidgen of good news and suddenly everything is doing great. A little bit of bad news and 'Ooohh, we're down on the dumps,"' he said. "And I am obviously an object of this constantly varying assessment."

Obama disagreed with the choices.

"I don't think things are ever as good as they say, or ever as bad as they say," he added. "Things two years ago were not as good as we thought because there were a lot of underlying weaknesses in the economy. They're not as bad as we think they are now."

In Congress, Obama's budget plans were meeting resistance.

Sen. Kent Conrad, chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, called the track of future deficits "unsustainable" and singled out Obama's proposal for adding $634 billion in health care spending over the next 10 years.

"Some of us have a real pause about the notion of putting substantially more money into the health care system when we've already got a bloated system," said Conrad, D-N.D.

Richard Parsons, chairman of beleaguered Citigroup Inc., asked if Obama could offer some help in a national battle "between confidence and fear."

It was a similar question facing Obama's treasury secretary, Timothy Geithner, before Conrad's committee. Geithner encountered blunt questions about the administration's plans for shoring up the nation's banks. He reiterated the administration's goal to lay out a private-public partnership to make up to $1 trillion in financing available to help banks clear their books of toxic, mortgage-related assets that have led to a national credit freeze.

Geithner hinted more money might be required beyond the existing $700 billion financial rescue fund: "We certainly can start with the resources we have."

But Obama, to business leaders, said not all was lost.

"For all the, you know, angst that's been out there, you've got banking institutions that are still functioning and, lo and behold, making profits," Obama said.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., played down talk that Democrats would consider a second economic stimulus bill.

The flurry of comments illustrated the complicated moving parts confronting Washington as the economy continues to decline, credit remains clogged and a new president advances broad and expensive initiatives. The money set aside to address those needs so far has been staggering -- $787 billion for an economic stimulus designed to save and create jobs, the $700 billion approved by Congress for the financial rescue package and hundreds of billions more through programs from the Federal Reserve Bank.

On top of that, Obama wants to overhaul health care, reduce greenhouse-gas pollution and undertake major changes in energy policy. He's projecting a federal deficit of $1.75 trillion this year, by far the largest in history, but says he can get it down to $533 billion by 2013.

"I am not choosing to address these additional challenges just because I feel like it, or because I'm a glutton for punishment," Obama told the Business Roundtable, a group of top business executives. "I am doing so because they are fundamental to our economic growth and to ensuring that we don't have more crises like this in the future."

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http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/03/12/obama-declares-economic-crisis-bad-think/
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My Thoughts

BO-"I've never bought into these Malthusian, woe, Chicken Little, the earth is falling. I tend to be pretty optimistic."

Since when. If he doesn't really believe like that, he must play like he does on TV.

BO-"I don't think things are ever as good as they say, or ever as bad as they say," he added. "Things two years ago were not as good as we thought because there were a lot of underlying weaknesses in the economy. They're not as bad as we think they are now."

I was saying the same thing while he was bring gloom and doom into our TV sets every day to scare us into accepting the porkulus package.

"A smidgen of good news and suddenly everything is doing great. A little bit of bad news and 'Ooohh, we're down on the dumps,"' he said. "And I am obviously an object of this constantly varying assessment."

You think. Duh!

Where was all of this optimism before the stimulus was passed and the stock market started free falling? We didn't hear any of "it's not so bad". We heard predictions of economic catastrophies instead.

It seems to me he did a masterful job of using the politics of fear to get it passed. Now, he doesn't have to keep on with that facade. Now, he has to try and fix the damage he caused with all of his fear mongering. His rhetoric scared the American people even more than they already were. This led to the stock market plummetting more than it would have without all the extra despair over the future of the economy.

Democratic Gov. Of Tennessee Rejects Part of Pelosi's Porkulus Package

Tennessee may reject stimulus aid for jobless Bredesen balks at conditions tied to federal package, long-term costs
By Chas Sisk • THE TENNESSEAN
February 25, 2009

Tennessee could reject a portion of the $787 billion economic stimulus package out of concerns that it would force the state to raise taxes on businesses in the future.

At the National Governors Association meetings in Washington, D.C., Gov. Phil Bredesen said this week that he might turn down relief for unemployed workers worth an estimated $143 million because of conditions placed on the money by Congress.

The stimulus package would also raise unemployment benefits by $25 a week for all workers, but in addition, lawmakers want states to expand the pool of people who can apply for benefits. That would put more pressure on an unemployment trust fund that is already trying to stave off insolvency.

"We are evaluating this piece of money, whether it makes sense for us to take it," Bredesen said in an interview Monday with the Chattanooga Times Free Press. "We're in the position of going back to our legislature this year for changes in our tax structure just to keep our fund whole, and taking it to a new level may be too much of a lift for the legislature this spring."

Balanced against that is the boost the state's unemployment fund could get from the stimulus package.

The plan would give every person claiming unemployment an extra $25 a week through 2009, starting next month. That part of the stimulus is funded separately and has already been approved by the governor.

Benefits in Tennessee are currently capped at $275 a week, and many people receive less.

"I think it would be good, very helpful," Danny Heyward, 50, an unemployed construction worker, said Tuesday. "Of course we would like more, but we have to take what we can get."

The stimulus package would also give money to the states to shore up their unemployment funds. The Republican governors of Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina have already committed to turning down unemployment assistance because of strings attached to the money.

Critics say the conditions will saddle states with a host of people who are newly eligible for unemployment benefits, an obligation legislatures will have to fund long after money from the stimulus package has been doled out.

"We're looking at adding new benefits that don't fall under the scope of unemployment," said Jim Brown, state director for the National Federation of Independent Business. "There's real mission drift."

The stimulus package allocates $7 billion to states for unemployment trust funds, but to get the money, they must meet two sets of requirements:

>> One-third of the payout is contingent on states' changing the formulas used to calculate whether people qualify for unemployment payments. The change is meant to make more people eligible for benefits.

>> Two-thirds of the payout is contingent on states' taking two actions on a menu of four options. These options are: adding a $15 allowance for dependents, lengthening benefits for people who are training for a new job, extending benefits to people looking for part-time work or letting people claim unemployment if they leave work for some family reasons, such as a sick relative or domestic violence.

"It's getting away from what unemployment benefits are intended for," Brown said.

Fund loses money

The changes would come as Tennessee's unemployment system is already dealing with record claims from a recession that is putting large numbers of people out of work and keeping them unemployed longer.

In the second week of February alone, more than 12,000 people filed claims for unemployment benefits, more than double the number from a year ago.

The rising number of claimants has drained the unemployment trust fund.

The fund's balance stood at $315.7 million last week, down from $526.1 million a year ago.

The state Department of Labor and Workforce Development is preparing to raise unemployment insurance premiums paid by employers to bring more money into the fund. But even with that extra revenue factored in, the fund is expected to become insolvent sometime next year.

Adding more obligations to the unemployment system could make it even harder to cover the shortfall, said Bill Fox, an economist at the University of Tennessee and an adviser to the fund. It might require even higher payments by businesses after the recession is over.

"We have a stimulus package that is intended to be short-term, and this would have a long-term effect on the structure of the system," Fox said. "To use the leverage of the stimulus in that way is not right."

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http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090225/NEWS02/902250416
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My Thoughts

It's not good if the Democratic governors start seeing the folly of Pelosi's Porkulus Package.

Also, I wonder when House Whip Clyburn (D) will start calling Gov. Bredesen a "racist" foe neglecting the blacks that live in Memphis.

Rotten ACORN, LaRaza Gets Extra Helping of Pork From "Porkulus" Bill, New Spending Bill

ACORN, LaRaza get double-dips of pork barrel in stimulus, omnibus spending bills
By Barbara Hollingsworth
Examiner Columnist | 2/25/09 5:42 PM

So President Barack Obama wants to cut the federal deficit in half by 2013? He can start by downsizing the amount of pork fat flowing to dozens of special interest groups that supported his candidacy.

About a hundred of these groups, including the Association for Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), the National Education Association (NEA) and the National Council of La Raza, have already received billions of tax dollars under Obama’s $787 billion stimulus plan. Yet they now stand to rake in even more federal money under the $410 billion omnibus spending bill now wending its way through Congress.

“The Democrats are asking taxpayers to pay for over 100 accounts in the omnibus bill that are also in the stimulus bill,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday.

“It strikes us that we're on a spending spree of gargantuan proportions here. A good time to stop it would be getting this omnibus appropriation bill down to a size that’s consistent with the current budget,” McConnell said.

How can congressional Democrats possibly justify giving the same organizations that already got a heaping helping of pork in the stimulus bill another scoop in the omnibus bill while taxpayers are suffering?

Despite Obama’s campaign promise to reduce earmarks, which are essentially handouts to the favored few, Taxpayers for Common Sense found 8,570 earmarks worth $7.7 billion in the current omnibus bill.

Adding those to the $6.6 billion in earmarks passed last fall, TSC calculates there are a total of $14.3 billion in for FY09 – a mere $500 million less than the year before. Democrats have clearly not eliminated the “culture of corruption” rampant on Capitol Hill, just changed the names of the beneficiaries.

Speaking of beneficiaries, the omnibus bill contains a $473,000 earmark for La Raza, which has called for Mexico to annex the southwestern states. Maybe it’s time to take them up on the offer and let the Mexican government bail out California for a change.

The omnibus bill also contains more funding for ACORN, which has been implicated in voter fraud in several states. Rep. Jeff Flake, R-AZ, also discovered that more than $7 million in earmarks are targeted for clients of the former PMA – currently under investigation by the FBI for campaign fraud.

So here we are, in the middle of a full-blown economic crisis, and Congress is still planning to fund a planetarium in Peoria, potato cloning in Maine, and a “World Trade Center” in Montana. There’s even a $5.8 million earmark for the “Ted Kennedy Institute for the Senate,” which will presumably teach generations of future senators how to stick it to productive Americans, if there’s any of them left by then.

Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-MD, tried to deflect well-deserved criticism of such wanton spending by distributing flyers at his weekly press conference that read: “You can’t spell ‘earmark’ without an R.”

Hoyer pointed out that 40 percent of the earmarks in the bill were sponsored by Republicans. Fair enough. But that means that 60 percent are sponsored by his fellow Democrats.

Sen. John McCain, R-AZ, is calling on Obama to keep his campaign promise. “The president should say, ‘Get that pork outta there, or I’ll veto it!’” McCain told FOX News. “We can’t afford to do this anymore.” Especially since the national debt will increase from $120K to $152K for each American household.

The omniporkus bill contains an eight percent increase over baseline spending at twice the rate of inflation, representing the largest discretionary spending hike since the “malaise” days of Jimmy Carter.

We all know what happened to him.

Barbara F. Hollingsworth is the Examiner’s local opinion editor.

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http://www.dcexaminer.com/opinion/columns/BarbaraHollingsworth/ACORN-LaRaza-get-double-dips-of-pork-barrel-in-stimulus-omnibus-spending-bills-40311877.html
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My Thoughts

Why do we keep rewarding failure? Why do we pay them for being a HUGE part of our economic troubles that we are facing today?

I guess he still owes them money for them supporting him during the campaign. Too bad he can't pay off the different cities that he still hasn't owes for campaign events.

Taxpayer's Clearing House

Specter Receives Backlash For Turning on Fiscal Responsibility

Sen. Specter Jeered For Voting For Stimulus Plan PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―

U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter was greeted with jeers at a press conference in Cranberry Township.

Conservatives are fuming after Specter cast the deciding vote that led to the passage of President Barack Obama's stimulus plan.

Specter, 79, acknowledges his run for re-election will be tough.

He says he's not completely happy with Obama's plans but he points out that he was able to cut the price tag by over $100 billion and he says he was able to increase the amount of tax cuts.

Even so, Specter acknowledges the Republican Party's conservative wing will attempt to unseat him in next year's primary race.

Six years ago, Specter barely won the Republican primary, but he says he's not afraid to fight for the job one more time.

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http://kdka.com/local/Arlen.specter.protestors.2.939308.html
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My Thoughts

He deserves worse. I think that the people in Pennsylvania need to send him pork rinds, protest outside his office, call and write in their displeasure with his actions. We cannot let up. If we do we'll wake up one day and be Sweden or, dare to think, California.