It seems the Obama administration's efforts, which have been less than stellar, to make stimulus spending open and transparent to tax payers is getting some heat from all sides including me. I wanted to clarify my disgruntlement if only slightly, however. Recovery.gov, the site used to monitor stimulus spending has, since its conception, been found to contain errors. I don't think it's intentional nor do I think it's some great conspiracy to hide the truth. I do think a majority of the errors are typos and problems with the end user entering the data, as the AP Fact Check demonstrates. These are definite problems no doubt. They should be corrected as soon as possible. Some of the errors, like non existent districts, look silly and can be corrected very quickly. There's no reason small things like that should be left on the site for the media and everyone to criticize. Monitor the information and fix it. It's that easy.
Apparently, Republicans are using ABC News' story (which I still think is excellent and I'm glad they did it) to invent conspiracy theories that Obama is listing "phantom districts" on recovery.gov in hopes to pull the wool over everyone. Republicans are saying Obama is spending stimulus money in districts that don't even exist, and thus spending money irresponsibly. There's no doubt Republicans know a thing or three about irresponsible spending, but these are typos and data entry errors not actual misplaced money.
Just for the record, I'm not on the side of falling off the cliff by cheering on "phantom districts." I just think the administration has to do a better job of keeping track of the data. They have to, there's no wiggle room on this.
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When one man was contained and powerless outside his own country, he went after him and brought vengeance along for the ride. This is his story as only history can tell it.
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