http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/30/AR201009 3007382_pf.html
The massive economic stimulus package President Obama pushed through Congress last year is coming in on time and under budget – and with strikingly few claims of fraud or abuse – according to a White House report to be released Friday. Shocking!
(This headline must have replaced the earlier one: “Washington Post republishes White House press release, including cheap shots from Republicans drinking slurpees”
Let me translate:
1. We are nearly on schedule, already blowing 70% of the $787b with a tiny bit of evidence of recovery if you really, really stretch it (but no evidence of new jobs.)
2. With $212b, we temporarily propped up collapsing state budgets so they won’t collapse until next year or maybe the year after! 3. We even spent about 10% ($77b) on those promised “shovel-ready” projects. That’s enough that we don’t consider this program a bait and switch.
4. “Only” $12 billion of that (2% of total) has received
“complaints” as fraudulent. Those who wasted and stole the rest have not complained about it.
5. The White House’s economic model forecasted 3.5mm jobs would be saved. The CBO confirms that the model still says that 3.5mm jobs were saved.
6. Even Stan “the man” Soloway, representing government
contractors, thinks the program was great and that government contractors should get even more money.
