Jonah Goldberg shines a spotlight in the latest National Review on the ridiculous claims associated with the federal stimulus package:
We?ve all heard the stories of vast sums of money funding a tiny number of jobs, anf tiny amounts of money paying for vast numbers of jobs. Even better, the stories have for the most part been broken by such non-right-wing-decoder-ring-wearers as the AP and the Boston Glove. A story in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that after spending $608.9 million, the White House got 1,458 jobs. That?s nearly half a million dollars per job. Meanwhile, Alabama?s Talladega County alone claimed that it stretched $42,000 into 5,000 jobs ?saved or created.?
?Saved or created? is itself the greatest weaselly locution yet coined in the 21st century. Just for the record, I save or create 500 push-ups every morning.
According to Recovery.gov, Arizona?s 86th congressional district received $34 million to help the Navajo people. Trouble is, Arizona has only eight districts. In fact, Watchdog.org claims that the White House has given $6.4 billion to 440 nonexistent districts. That?s five more fake districts than there are real ones.
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There?s so much deceit, incompetence, arrogance, and outright fantasy at work, it?s like listening to a high-school kid explain how he maxed out a for-emergencies-only credit card buying a prom dress for his fictional super-hot girlfriend in Canada, even though she won?t be able to make it to the party after all.
