Sen. Tom Coburn attempts to help answer that question. He's
published a helpful study taking aim at many of the projects
being funded by the "stimulus" bill.
Reports Sen. Coburn:
Earl Devaney, head of the Recovery Act Accountability and
Transparency (RAT) Board, estimates that at least $55 billion
of the money may be lost to waste, fraud and abuse.2
Unfortunately, we all have come to expect waste and
mismanagement when Washington spends money. But this time the
expectation must be different. When ordinary Americans are laid
off or lose their jobs, they are losing more than just income.
They are losing their health insurance, as well as their
ability to pay their mortgages, to send their kids to school,
or even provide necessities like food and shelter.
This report is an attempt to look beyond the statistics of jobs
created or even money wasted. It, instead, provides a closer
examination of 100 projects, programs and missteps - worth $5.5
billion - some even in my own home state of Oklahoma, that are
likely to fail the expectation of out of work Americans who
were hoping this bill would create good jobs that they are
desperately seeking so that they can provide for their families
once again.
Sen. Coburn promises to keep issuing reports in the future.
He is one of the public servants who truly lives up to that name.
Unfortunately, the better the job that Sen. Coburn does, the more
depressing the results. But remember: It's only
money. Don't worry, be happy.
About the Author
Doug Bandow is a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute and the Senior Fellow in International Religious Persecution at the Institute on Religion and Public Policy. A former Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan, he is author of Beyond Good Intentions: A Biblical View of Politics (Crossway).
