Does Anyone feel like Bailing

[classicman]

http://stimuluswatch.org/2.0/

Take a look at how things are going ... Some seem to be doing well others, not so much.

You can sort it however you like. I sorted by $$$ and the millions upon millions that were spent creating few, if any, jobs is really troubling. I'm chalking this up to bureaucracy, but seriously - DAYUM.


ETA - weird - the sort by "jobs" doesn't seem to be working...
ETA II Fuggit - none of the sorts really work. They shoulda hired UT to make the stupid thing operate properly.

[classicman]

[classicman]

This months installment about the last stimulus

"I'm disappointed that we've only created or retained 55 jobs after receiving $111 million," said Wendy Greuel, the city's controller. "With our local unemployment rate over 12 percent we need to do a better job cutting red tape and putting Angelenos back to work."

Disappointed? ARE you freakin kidding me? Shoot yourself fercrissakes.

According to the audit, the Los Angeles Department of Public Works
spent $70 million in stimulus funds -- in return, it created seven private sector jobs and saved seven workers from layoffs. Taxpayer cost per job: $1.5 million.

The Los Angeles Department of Transportation created even fewer jobs per dollar, spending $40 million but netting just nine jobs. Taxpayer cost per job: $4.4 million.

This is beyond pathetic.

Greuel blamed the dismal numbers on several factors:

1. Bureaucratic red tape: Four highway projects did not even go out to bid until seven months after they were authorized.

2. Projects that were supposed to be competitively bid in the private sector went instead went to city workers.

3. Stimulus money was not properly tracked within departments

4. Both departments could not report the jobs
created and retained in a timely fashion..

"I would say maybe in a grade, a B- in creating the jobs,"

A "B-" Hmmm - maybe thats the problem we need someone to oversee the oversee-ers... I would thinnk thats more like a D- maybe that was a typo.
From Faux

[TheMercenary]

I'm glad you posted this, I mean really, who in their right mind thinks that 55 jobs at a cost of our tax payer monies is really a good deal. I would love to watch Pelosi defend that one.

[classicman]

I was actually trying to figure out what a good number is for job creation. There is the salary of course, but there is a lot more than that including the benefits.
Does anyone know?

[monster]

Originally Posted by classicman

I was actually trying to figure out what a good number is for job creation.

1-800-JOB-CRTN?

[classicman]

Tried calling - that reaches Steve Lowry - some sales rep in Alabama...
I gave him your email

[classicman]

Recession Ended in June 2009

The National Bureau of Economic Research, the arbiter of the start and end dates of a recession, determined that the recession that began in December 2007 ended in June 2009.
The business-cycle dating committee met by phone on Sunday and came to the determination. “In determining that a trough occurred in June 2009, the committee did not conclude that economic conditions since that month have been favorable or that the economy has returned to operating at normal capacity.
The decision by the NBER means that any future downturn in the economy would be considered a new recession and not a continuation of the recession that began in 2007.

from WSJ

Does their decision to call any future downturn a "new" recession really mean anything? I can see where the GOP would like that politically, but it seems wrong to me. With the current unemployment rate and the housing market still extremely volatile, it would seem logical that it would be related instead of new.

[Happy Monkey]

The GOP may like to be able to blame future downturns on Obama, but they wouldn't like the idea that the last one ended under Obama.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

The GOP may like to be able to blame future downturns on Obama, but they wouldn't like the idea that the last one ended under Obama.

I have heard this but you and I know that it was much more complicated than that. Bills passed by Bush, Congress dominated by the Dems since 2007, and yet they all continue to fail the electorate. There is no middle ground in this country anymore, and I don't see any in the immediate future.

[classicman]

That goes without saying HM. I think this administration would like to say that it ended under their reign as well.


I agree with Ariana Huffington when she said that politicians from both parties have been screwing the middle class for thirty years.

[Spexxvet]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

I have heard this but you and I know that it was much more complicated than that. Bills passed by Bush, Congress dominated by the Dems since 2007, and yet they all continue to fail the electorate. There is no middle ground in this country anymore, and I don't see any in the immediate future.

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

I have heard this but you and I know that it was much more complicated than that. Bills passed by Bush, Congress dominated by the Dems since 2007,

The recession started in 2007, so it must have been caused before that. So Democrats dominated Congress during the entire process of ending the recession?

I agree that it's always more complicated than a soundbite, but the data you provide isn't quite a counterpoint to "Obama fixed it!", especially since the current Republican party would like to disavow all knowledge of Bush's role in stimulus and bailouts at the end of his term.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

The recession started in 2007, so it must have been caused before that. So Democrats dominated Congress during the entire process of ending the recession?

I agree that it's always more complicated than a soundbite, but the data you provide isn't quite a counterpoint to "Obama fixed it!", especially since the current Republican party would like to disavow all knowledge of Bush's role in stimulus and bailouts at the end of his term.

The Republickins are no better than the Demoncrats. Based on your logic the Demoncrats want to get all of the accolades of ending the recession and none of the responsibility for all of it's failures. I am going to go and photo shop a pic of Obama standing on a carrier with a banner in the background saying mission accomplished. Tell that to the millions still out of work in a nation of deficit spending and no plan to pay for them.

[classicman]

Obama Administration Gave General Electric—Parent Company of NBC--$24.9 Million in ‘Stimulus’ Grants

Despite getting $24.9 million from U.S. taxpayers, GE decreased its U.S.-based employees by 18,000 in 2009, according to the company’s 2009 annual report.

According to Standard & Poor's, GE took in $156 billion in revenue in 2009.

All of these federal stimulus grants went to GE’s Global Research Center.

The earliest of the stimulus grants went to GE in July 2009 and the latest in April 2010.

CNSNews.com asked a GE spokesperson if the company contested Recovery.gov’s representation that GE had received 14 stimulus grants worth $24.9 million, and also whether the company now employed more or fewer workers as a result of receiving the grants.

In an e-mail response, GE spokeswoman Anne Eisele said, “I’m afraid I must politely decline to comment.”

What did all the money to GE go for? Recovery.gov posts brief explanations of each grant. For example, the Department of Justice gave GE $999,955 in stimulus money. “The goal of this program,” said Recovery.gov, “is to develop a comprehensive reasoning system for event and scenario recognition for an intelligent video system.”

In addition to the $24.9 million it received in stimulus grants, GE was also awarded $5 million in federal contracts under the economic stimulus law. These contracts were payment for services provided by the company.

Link

Somehow I missed this one. I've perused that site a number of times. I'm constantly amazed at what/where money was spent on/for.