Michigan is one of 16 states that will be overseen by the General Accountability Office in its use of federal stimulus money.
Now when we read this blurb on the governor’s Web site, we see a note that says “click here for testimony from Gene L. Dodaro, Acting Comptroller General of the United States…” but we see no link. This is not a good start in terms of transparency, when the very announcement that you will be monitored is not transparent. Here is what the office could not seem to provide. Curiously, the news that came earlier this month seemed to evade the Michigan media team. But Crain’s in Chicago ran a nice little Illinois-centric piece about it.
While we were at it, finding this site that allows us to report fraud or waste is an interesting idea. Not sure if it works, but we’ll be keeping an eye on the spending of these funds here in Michigan. We have no trouble dialing the 202, which was once our home.
GAO Follows Michigan Spending of Stimulus $
Showing posts with label wasted money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wasted money. Show all posts
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Stimulus Sunshine: How Much Difference Does it Make?
Today’s Freep provides an excellent chat about FOIA and the public’s right to know.
Some of these points are obvious – “Before disbursing a dime of its anticipated $7.1 billion in federal stimulus funds, Gov. Jennifer Granholm and the Legislature should create a very public and straightforward "checkbook" showing deposits from Washington and payouts in Michigan.”
Obvious but very unlikely.
You may have seen the Mackinac Center’s attempts to persuade the governor to be more open and the lack of regard the state’s chief holds for an open government. If not, we’ve posted the correspondence below.
The Center aptly summarizes the exchanges, “Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s office has twice refused Mackinac Center requests to replicate the online spending transparency found on the Secretary of State’s Web site. Claims by the governor’s office that such a project would be “cost prohibitive,” however, don’t add up.”
On the subject of stimulus money: What’s the lead us to believe that the money will be spent any differently than any other government welfare lottery? Political favors will be paid and those tight with the administration will receive most of the proceeds. This is not just the case in Michigan, but how business is done in all states. Lip service is being paid to transparency here and for Michigan, here.
So far, Michigan has handed over stimulus $$ to public health clinics that didn’t even ask for financial help, a stateside arm of the Peace Corp, and law enforcement.
President Obama’s vast expenditure is neither sound nor fair. And even if we can see where this money is going, this is a rare case in which transparency is frustrating in confirming what we know: Special interests rule.
Granholm - Mac Center Letter
Mac Center Back to Granholm Letter
Granholm Back to Mac Center
Some of these points are obvious – “Before disbursing a dime of its anticipated $7.1 billion in federal stimulus funds, Gov. Jennifer Granholm and the Legislature should create a very public and straightforward "checkbook" showing deposits from Washington and payouts in Michigan.”
Obvious but very unlikely.
You may have seen the Mackinac Center’s attempts to persuade the governor to be more open and the lack of regard the state’s chief holds for an open government. If not, we’ve posted the correspondence below.
The Center aptly summarizes the exchanges, “Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s office has twice refused Mackinac Center requests to replicate the online spending transparency found on the Secretary of State’s Web site. Claims by the governor’s office that such a project would be “cost prohibitive,” however, don’t add up.”
On the subject of stimulus money: What’s the lead us to believe that the money will be spent any differently than any other government welfare lottery? Political favors will be paid and those tight with the administration will receive most of the proceeds. This is not just the case in Michigan, but how business is done in all states. Lip service is being paid to transparency here and for Michigan, here.
So far, Michigan has handed over stimulus $$ to public health clinics that didn’t even ask for financial help, a stateside arm of the Peace Corp, and law enforcement.
President Obama’s vast expenditure is neither sound nor fair. And even if we can see where this money is going, this is a rare case in which transparency is frustrating in confirming what we know: Special interests rule.
Granholm - Mac Center Letter
Mac Center Back to Granholm Letter
Granholm Back to Mac Center
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