Quote of the day: And we're supposed to feel good about this?

“The Bush and Obama administrations pumped $80 billion in taxpayer money into Chrysler and GM, with Obama guiding the companies into bankruptcy. The companies are now reporting profits, Chrysler has paid back all but $1.3 billion of its federal infusion, and the White House says the overall loss to taxpayers will be $14 billion, far less than first expected." --Associated Press

Kentucky spent federal stimulus dollars on WHAT?!

Last February, Gov. Beshear created the Kentucky at Work program to implement the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) in Kentucky. The plan, as described by Beshear on the Kentucky at Work home page, was simple:

"ARRA will provide a much-needed, one-time infusion of dollars that will allow us to maintain our jobs and quality of life through investments in education, health care and public safety; and to make strategic investments now to position Kentucky for the future."

Has Kentucky used the $3 billion in federal funds to "maintain our jobs and quality of life?" We'll let you decide:

• Nearly $1 million to fund a program to improve the cardiovascular health of male inmates.

• More than $940,000 to Algood Food Company to distribute peanut butter products domestically. Algood also grabbed more than $3 million for peanut butter manufacturing!

• Another $600,000 to the University of Kentucky to investigate the fundamental constants, elementary interactions and basic symmetries of the Standard Model.

• UK also received about $570,000 to research Salamanders because they are model organisms in areas of human health.

• More than $120,000 to the city of Lancaster for an award description titled "arra stimulas" (yes, spelled this way) to fund an unknown project.

• Go Green Louisville got $7 million for energy efficient traffic signals and lighting and installation of renewable energy technologies on government buildings.

• A Louisville grocery store that has yet to even be built got $3 million -- in the name of "community development."

• $890 for work boots.

• More than $357,000 to repair an abandoned furnace in Fitchburg, Kentucky after a failed attempt in 2004 that cost over $660,000.

Could it be that about the only "strategic" activity being stimulated with federal stimulus dollars in the commonwealth is a lot of check-presentation ceremonies -- on Kentucky taxpayers' dime -- for a governor fighting for re-election?

Real or fake government spending projects?

Check out this great video about federal spending projects.  A great display of the absurdity of the "stimulus"...



Have an example of a ridiculous government spending project? Learn how to share it here!

More on school energy managers

Logan already did the initial blog about the new school energy managers program, but this news release provides some interesting insight into what is going on.

Check out the background of the new energy manager for Pulaski, Casey and Rockcastle County schools.

This makes me wonder what these energy managers are really going to be doing and whether a well-designed informational pamphlet for local school administrators could accomplish about the same thing at considerably lower cost.

We already have energy consultants in state employees!

Yesterday I asked some questions regarding stimulus money being used to hire 35 full-time "energy managers" for Kentucky school districts.

On the Kentucky Department for Energy Development and Independence website you can see how all of the stimulus money set aside for the Kentucky State Energy Program is divided up - all $52.5 million of it.

The "School Energy Managers Project", as you can see, is allotted $5,050,012.  That's a lot of money for 35 people.  In fact, that is $144,286 a person.  I certainly hope that's not an annual salary figure.

Seems like a lot of money to me, especially since Governor Beshear already received input from state workers on how the state can save money through simple energy fixes. You can see those energy saving recommendations made by state workers here.

Stimulus money for energy managers in schools?

I don't think anyone would argue that efficient energy use is being a good steward of both the environment and hard-earned money.  I would think there'd be more discussion surrounding federal stimulus money being used to create positions for "energy managers" in Kentucky school systems.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reported this last week.

Essentially, this is the breakdown of this "stimulus" project.

• 35 new full-time positions
• Serving over 130 districts
• Money used for these hires were obtained through the Kentucky School Board Association (whom we have been writing about quite a bit lately) and the Kentucky Department of Energy Development and Independence.

While there are many positives to having someone analyze your energy efficiency and making recommendations, there are also some questions that should be raised:

• How much are we paying these 35 new positions?  That's a lot of money going into creating new administrative positions that don't have a direct impact on kids learning (wait, that is what the schools are there for, right?).
• Why can't schools use consultants from energy providers they already have a relationship with to improve their energy efficiency?
• Is there really enough work for 35 people in full time positions.  I mean, once you make recommendations for schools, how many years can you continue to look at the same building?
• The big question is...How long will the federal stimulus money continue to fund these new positions before the state/school district is forced to take that cost on?  Kentucky is broke and creating new admin positions doesn't seem like a good place to start to fix the problem.

Is this a wise use of money?