<object width="416" height="374" classid="clsid27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" id="ep"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="movie" value="http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/apps/cvp/3.0/swf/cnn_416x234_embed.swf?context=embed&videoId=us/2010/01/26/kaye.oh.signs.of.waste.cnn" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><embed src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/apps/cvp/3.0/swf/cnn_416x234_embed.swf?context=embed&videoId=us/2010/01/26/kaye.oh.signs.of.waste.cnn" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" bgcolor="#000000" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="416" wmode="transparent" height="374"></embed></object> $1 million used to tout stimulus funds at work Cleveland, Ohio (CNN) -- A state senator from Ohio says his state is spending $1 million on road signs to advertise the use of stimulus money for road projects. In other words, the state is using your money to tell you it's spending your money. State Sen. Tim Grendell, R-Ohio, calls it a waste of taxpayer dollars. The road signs he's concerned about display words such as "Project Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act" Some road projects have two signs, and some don't have any at all, but the signs aren't cheap. The bigger signs can cost as much as $3,000 each, according to Grendell, who says this is just a big "thank you" to the Obama Administration. He told CNN, "Send a fruit basket if you want to say 'thank you.' Don't waste a million dollars saying 'thank' you to Washington for giving us back our tax money." Grendell says the message here is that stimulus dollars are "being spent stupidly." Ohio's Department of Transportation says that criticism misses the point -- that this is all about transparency. Scott Varner, a spokesperson for the department said, "the president made a commitment to have these symbols of stimulus projects; we think it's important. What better way to let the taxpayer know where stimulus money is being spent?" While Varner says the $1 million price tag on signs is "on the high side," he was unable to provide the department's own tally for money spent on the signs. He said, "it is not typical for any state DOT to have the exact cost on every single construction sign. It is a challenge to have that exact figure." Ohio was given nearly $1 billion of stimulus money for roadwork. The money used for the signs is only about one-tenth of 1 percent of that money. But critics argue that stimulus money -- all of it -- was designed to finance projects, not advertise them. Although the Obama administration promised the stimulus package would create jobs, there is no evidence that putting up these road signs created any jobs. Ted Andrzejewski, the mayor of Eastlake, Ohio, and a Democrat, is also angry about the signs. He says for a bit more than what the road signs cost, he could've fixed a road in his community and created more than two dozen jobs. The mayor says all of his stimulus requests were turned down. "The problem is sometimes our politicians don't understand what a million dollars is," Andrzejewski said. Grendell first noticed the signs last fall. He had to pass one every day on the way to get his morning coffee. It made him so angry he'd return home mumbling under his breath. He says even after the road project was finished, the sign remained up for some time. He's so furious about this he introduced a bill to stop the signs and wrote a letter to Ohio's Democratic governor, Ted Strickland. He never heard back. The governor's spokesman told CNN, "It's common practice on public works projects to demonstrate how tax dollars are spent." And it turns out, Ohio isn't the only state turning taxpayer dollars into road signs. CNN found most states are spending stimulus money on signs and that could cost taxpayers nationwide about $3.8 million. At least 16 states, however, are skipping the signs and putting the money toward road projects instead. Vermont is letting residents track where the stimulus money is spent on a Web site created by the state, for a lot less money than the signs being used in Ohio. Grendell thinks that's a great idea. "At the end of the day as a public official, we're accountable for 100 cents on the dollar. We shouldn't waste one penny, not five pennies. We should use it where it will best benefit the taxpayers," he says. link
Technically, those signs are stimulating the economy. The manufacturers could use the business, which in turn allows them to pay and keep their employees, who then spend that money on the local economy. This also allows the company that supplies the raw materials to receive more business. So its not a complete waste of money....
what is your point? This is just to show that Govt spends money stupidly! You think the rest of the 787 billion is going to spent efficiently? Govt does what govt does best and that is waste tax payer dollars..
you're right! they should spend money wisely like big corporations! signed, GM, Chrysler, Lehman, BearSterns, Bank of America, Stanford, Merrill Lynch, et al
Here's the sign Oregon uses at each end of a highway construction project... It's a tradition to put a funding sign (your tax dollars at work, paid for by the lottery, etc.) at a construction project and for this one at least, you have to know that's the symbol of ARRA, which most probably don't. I think the Repubs are a little jealous and want to do their best to keep the American people in the dark about stimulus effectiveness.
I would guess the multiplier effect on this would be miniscule, if even positive. What helped the most was the monetary stimulus. But the FED is too chicken to do even more monetary stimulus. There is a lot more it can do.
Reduce your rage, please. I already said it's stupid, but wasting your breath on such a small fraction is a waste, as well. This is like the Congressman getting angry at bailed out company CEO's for using private jets. It's a drop in the bucket, and wasting everyone's time (and money) focusing on it. If you find sizable chunk of waste that you can legitimately get completely outraged about, let me know. Until then, don't waste my time. And again, relax a bit.
Yes, it is a complete waste of money for those signs. They could have paid everyone in the chain to pretend to work and they still would have been better off using the raw materials on something useful.
I don't get it, somebody made the sign, somebody made the mateial for the sign, somebody got paid for all of that?
Why are we talking about the cost of one hubcap on one spare tire of one jet fighter rendered relatively useless by modern coke-bottle terrorism but still in production? I mean, other than taking more shots at an Obama program of course...
Socialism, muslim, birth certificate, porkulus, pelosi, they took our jobs! Have I properly encapsulated your vocabulary?
and that's terrible because a black man's in office. btw, how much was the mission accomplished sign? a waste and a lie.
No, it's terrible becuase it wasteful and stupid, just like your moronic obsession with race. (or can your brain can not handle anything more complex than color recognition?) Why doesn't the government just employ everyone if its so great? We could even hire people to dig holes in the ground and other people to fill them, then we could hire someone to regulate it. Or how about DC letting the people keep THEIR money to invest and spend as they best see fit, instead of forcing them to purchase useless road signs in Ohio.
How about they don't take the money in the first place? EDIT: Sam, you do not understand the power of the dark side of the BBS.
