Faster horses
Well-known member
From our local paper:
Signs don't create jobs or provide any economic investment.
Washington D.Cl-Montanas Congressman Denny Rehberg spoke Sept. 23 on the floor of the US House of Representatives and sent a letter to VP Biden and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood expressing criticism over the continued waste of federal stimulus. Specifically, Rehberg expressed concerns over money being spent to erect signs that serve no purpose other than to notify drivers that construction projects are funded by the 'Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act'. The Senate failed to pass an amendment (S. Amdt. 2361) to the Transportation, Housing and Urban Develpment Appropriatins Bill (H.R. 3288) which would have blocked the further spending of tax dollars on additional signs.
"These signs provide no jobs or long-term investment in our economy," said Rehberg on the House floor. "Instead, they represent the worst of political credit-taking. What's more, the signs are wrong. The dollars Congress allocates come from taxpayers. In this case, it would be more accurate to say a project is funded by our children and grandchildren.
There are better ways to spend millions of dollars."
Beause of the incomplete information provided on stimulus transparency websites, it is not possible to determine exactly how much money is being spent on these highway signs. However, the sponsor of the Senate Amendment, Senator Judd Gregg from NH, estimated that it could be as much as $20 million.
As a result of the lack of promised transparency with stimulus spending, and in an effort to identify and eliminate waste within Montana, Rehberg launched Stimulus Watch Montana in June 2009. The website is part of his official congressional website and allows Montanans to report wasteful spending anonymously. if they wish.
"The only jobs these signs are meant to save are those of the Congressmen and Senators who voted for the one trillion dollar stimulus which so far hasn't really stimulated anything", said Rehberg. "Montana taxpayers shouldn't be forced to foot the bill for these campaign signs."
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I've always liked Rehberg and this is just one example of why.
Signs don't create jobs or provide any economic investment.
Washington D.Cl-Montanas Congressman Denny Rehberg spoke Sept. 23 on the floor of the US House of Representatives and sent a letter to VP Biden and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood expressing criticism over the continued waste of federal stimulus. Specifically, Rehberg expressed concerns over money being spent to erect signs that serve no purpose other than to notify drivers that construction projects are funded by the 'Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act'. The Senate failed to pass an amendment (S. Amdt. 2361) to the Transportation, Housing and Urban Develpment Appropriatins Bill (H.R. 3288) which would have blocked the further spending of tax dollars on additional signs.
"These signs provide no jobs or long-term investment in our economy," said Rehberg on the House floor. "Instead, they represent the worst of political credit-taking. What's more, the signs are wrong. The dollars Congress allocates come from taxpayers. In this case, it would be more accurate to say a project is funded by our children and grandchildren.
There are better ways to spend millions of dollars."
Beause of the incomplete information provided on stimulus transparency websites, it is not possible to determine exactly how much money is being spent on these highway signs. However, the sponsor of the Senate Amendment, Senator Judd Gregg from NH, estimated that it could be as much as $20 million.
As a result of the lack of promised transparency with stimulus spending, and in an effort to identify and eliminate waste within Montana, Rehberg launched Stimulus Watch Montana in June 2009. The website is part of his official congressional website and allows Montanans to report wasteful spending anonymously. if they wish.
"The only jobs these signs are meant to save are those of the Congressmen and Senators who voted for the one trillion dollar stimulus which so far hasn't really stimulated anything", said Rehberg. "Montana taxpayers shouldn't be forced to foot the bill for these campaign signs."
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I've always liked Rehberg and this is just one example of why.