Today we bring you a website that let’s you rate stimulus projects. Stimulus Watch “was built to help the administration keep its pledge to invest stimulus money smartly, and to hold public officials to account for the taxpayer money they spend. We do this by allowing you, citizens around the country with local knowledge about the stimulus projects in your city, to find, discuss and rate those projects.”
Here are the description of some of the grants and contracts awarded and the amounts spent that should make even the most ardent Obama supporters question the ability of government to allocate resources efficiently to worthwhile projects:
“Small Turkey Deli Breasts” – $5,379,000 – never thought that turkey breast size is an issue requiring $5 million and change to study
“Behavioral Dynamics of Biparental Negotiation” – $90,000 – Is this about how children figure out how to manipulate their parents to get what they want? I have an expert on this in my house!
“Career: Survival of the Privileged: Exploring the Conditions that Allow Supermassive Black Holes and Minority Physicists to Thrive” – $1,075,873 -Just weird, but for $1 million, I’ll study it!
“Replace existing dumbwaiters” -$351,807 – huh?
” Development of economically viable, highly integrated and modular solar power conversion, control, and communication architecture to enable higher penetration of solar power in the electric grid” – $2,993,076 – this is one of the most highly rated projects!
“Replace motor on government owned boat” – $10,500 – I don’t think this is to help the US Navy
“Home acquisition” – $526,647 – Did Senator Chris Dodd get another mortgage deal? Is this why he isn’t running for reelection?
“Develop ‘real life’ stories that underscore job and infrastructure related to ARRA research findings.” – $363,750 – Who wouldn’t tell some stories for $363k?
“Remove old joint sealant and replace with new LOX sealant. The purpose is to facilitate government testing.” – $4,284 – why go to Home Depot if Uncle Sam will pitch in?
“Comm/Pack Chicken, Fozen Whole Bagged 36-43 lb ct; 2 loads of 39,600# each to deliver between 7/1/09 and 7/31/09.” – $69,696 – someone ate a lot of chicken!
“RUI : Genetic Control of Sensory Hair Cell Membrane Channels in Zebrafish” – $327,337 – no one is too insignificant for the Obama administration. It’s about time the Zebrafish gets attention!
This list could go on… Check out the website and have fun finding wacky projects and rate them!
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