One Year after the Stimulus Package:
Higher Unemployment in U.S., Taxpayer Dollars
Creating Jobs Overseas
Walberg Calls for Less Government Spending, Lower Taxes, Free-Market Health Care Reforms
Tipton, MI- One year ago today President Obama signed the $787 billion stimulus package into law. Since signing the legislation, the national unemployment rate has climbed from 7.6% to 9.7% and the cost of the stimulus package has increased by $75 billion.
Congressman Mark Schauer, who voted for the stimulus bill, told his constituents that there was no pork or earmarks in the stimulus bill. Congressman Schauer pledged “vigorous oversight” to ensure the stimulus was “administered efficiently and effectively.” Michigan’s unemployment rate has increased from 12% to 14.6%, while billions of stimulus dollars created thousands of jobs overseas.
Though Congressman Schauer pledged “vigorous oversight”, here are a few examples of how stimulus dollars were wasted:
· $2 billion in energy spending created 6,000 jobs overseas.
· “researchers at Penn State University received $1.57 million to search for fossils in Argentina”
· “$100,000 for socially conscious puppet shows.”
· $1 million to put up signs in Ohio advertising the use of stimulus funds.
· “The National Institutes of Health got $219,000 in funds to study whether female college students are more likely to ‘hook up’ after drinking alcohol.”
· “Two million dollars in stimulus money went to build a replica railroad as a tourist attraction in Carson City, Nev.”
· “Half a million dollars went to Arizona State University to study the genetic makeup of ants to determine distinctive roles in ant colonies”
· “$450,000 went to the University of Arizona to study the division of labor in ant colonies.”
· “The State University of New York at Buffalo won $390,000 to study young adults who drink malt liquor and smoke marijuana.”
· “$5 million grant from the Department of Energy to create a geothermal energy system for the Oak Ridge City Center shopping mall … the mall has been losing tenants for years and is mostly empty.”
“Less government spending, lower taxes, and free-market health care reforms will empower individuals and small businesses, grow our economy, and spur job creation. Unfortunately, Mark Schauer and his liberal Washington allies wasted taxpayer dollars, spent billions to create jobs overseas and voted for trillion dollar deficits,” said Tim Walberg.
“America is great and prosperous when government is limited and citizens are free to use their God-given talents to care for their family and help their community,” Walberg added.