Arkansas Blog

i thought they had to be "transparent" with these funds by law?

Another fine example of how our elected officials are spending the taxpayers hard earned money. Government positions will be retained and will continue to grow during this crises (a new stimulus director and staff? What a joke!), new, fancy digs (got to have in order to look prosperous, and don't forget the expensive new furniture, computer equipment, phones, office supplies, travel, training and other related expenses that will be required to operate this newly formed stff and redecorated office). Keep watching, you haven't seen anything yet on how the bulk of these economic stimulus funds will be spend. (Refer to how the LRSD wants to use a good portion of their stimulus money over the next two years.) Talk about putting decorations on the Christmas tree. This is sickening.

Add to that, the lack of transparency so far on the part of NLR and others. Perhaps after this PR nighmare, the new NLR "Stimulus Czar" will soon correct that oversight. Remember, there is a process to report abuse and/or suspect abuse in the spending of stimulus funds. Vice-President Biden is waiting to hear from you!

I agree with you CK.

It seems that stimulus would create jobs but none of these things are creating jobs, they're only creating cash streams for bureaucrats already in jobs. They're creating monies those lifers can spend with friends and associates built over a career of backscratching.

I work in the world of education, and the day the money was announced, we were all told to figure out ways to spend money on Special Education, since most of the new funding would be in this area. They didn't come say "figure out a way to help the people we serve" they said "figure out a way to spend money." They wanted it spent on EXISTING programs, not new ones to meet demand or community need.

We're all in a pool drowning and all they care about is making sure they get the most air in their floaties.

So, we have Michael Drake, a former bond daddy, in charge of the stimulus money. How's that for letting a fox guard the henhouse? Which reminds me of the old joke about the difference between a bond and a bond daddy. The bond eventually matures. Where is maturity in sprucing up your personal digs versus using stimulus money supposedly destined for the benefit of all? Stunts like this serve to undermine public confidence which the stimulus money was directed to restore. Sad,sad,sad. Admiral, the buck stops with you (or does it start with you)?

It's interesting to note that not to long ago Drake stated in an interview "SLIGHT renovations will be done to create an office....". As with many bureaucrats, it looks like the golden glitter and unlimited availibility of taxpayer's money changed his mind. I wonder if the rennovation and all the other related costs for this new department were coming out of Drake's or the mayor's personal checking account if they would have gone for the slight rennovations, the major rehab job or no work at all. It's so much more fun spending other people's money and besides it's got to be spent on something, anything right away.