11 Very Reasonable Places Your Stimulus Dollars Went

Republican leaders insist, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that President Obama's $800-billion-or-so stimulus package from last year hasn't accomplished anything. (This is driving top White House economic adviser Jared Bernstein absolutely crazy.)

Progressive groups -- and most leading economists -- say the problem with the stimulus was that it didn't do enough, because it wasn't nearly as big as it should have been.

Lost amid those arguments is what exactly the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act did accomplish -- which, by comparison to almost anything except the massive output gap it was supposed to fill, is a lot.

On Tuesday, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that the act added from 1.4 million to 3.3 million jobs during the second quarter of 2010.

In addition to $288 billion in tax cuts, the Recovery Act funded all sorts of worthy projects that created jobs, backstopped a number of safety-net programs, and made huge investments in infrastructure, energy independence, mass transit and other public goods.

Here are 11 projects that got stimulus money. Do you think they deserved your tax money?

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Helping Wounded Warriors

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The Defense Department is using $100 million in Recovery Act funds to construct two complexes for the Warrior Transition program, which helps ill and injured soldiers recover and return to duty or to their communities. One of the two stimulus-funded projects is in Fort Bliss, Texas. The $41-million project includes design and construction of a barracks, an administrative building, and a "Soldier and Family Assistance Center."

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The Defense Department is using $100 million in Recovery Act funds to construct two complexes for the Warrior Transition program, which helps ill and injured soldiers recover and return to duty or to their communities. One of the two stimulus-funded projects is in Fort Bliss, Texas. The $41-million project includes design and construction of a barracks, an administrative building, and a "Soldier and Family Assistance Center."

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Not Much Help Why I Pay Taxes

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(With research assistance by Jeremy Binckes.)

Comments

[MirageRF]

03:17 PM on 10/13/2010

If a telemarketer called soliciting a $50 donation to any of these projects, would you write a check?

(BTW- I do support the infrastructure stimulus, just asking.)

[msgirlintn]

06:12 PM on 09/26/2010

Republicans only have a problem with spending when there is a Dem in the White House and Dem majorities in the Senate and House.  That's when Repubs  decide they are "fiscally conservative" and want to complain.  Funny they don't complain about rebuilding Iraq and Afghanistan, only America.

[MirageRF]

03:20 PM on 10/13/2010

So much for the two party system. Someone will always be "outraged."

I'm just glad we haven't been bombing our own schools and hospitals.

Such a mess......You break it, you buy it.

[prodemlib]

05:53 PM on 09/26/2010

The TeaGOPers want everything to go back to the mid-20t Century - the days of FAILURE! We've lived the pass, we need a future - based in the 21st Century. One full of HOPE, technology, and innovation FOR EVERYBODY, not just the top 10%

[MirageRF]

03:22 PM on 10/13/2010

Analytically speaking,
I believe they just want to return to the innocence of their childhood when ignorance was bliss.

[bridge to somewhere]

04:07 PM on 10/13/2010

I think they went a bit too far...they act as smart as blastocysts.

[Elk Hunter 1]

03:06 PM on 09/26/2010

Why is it the taxpayers responsibiliy to expand one private companies need for growth? If they are doing so well there would be many banks who would give them money.

Why is the tax payer having to pick up the tab for charging station for a product that is not that popular? They think it's the right thing to do? Why should I have to run my car off of coal instead of gas? If the market sells enough electric (coal burning) cars then there will be a place in the market for private business to install chargers for their customers. That should not fall on the tax payer. This also holds true for the ones making the batteries for any product. If people want them then they will pay for them. I want the government to pay for some of my fuel.

As far as infastructure for specific area's that have too many people for the roads, what is the tax from gasoline going to? If there is a problem with too many people for the conditions that the states are providing their citizens that seems like a state issue. Maybe they should raise their state taxes to pay for thier roads. I don't see how the roads in CA are a problem for those who live in NE.

The only good thing on this list is helping our wounded soldiers.

[MirageRF]

03:24 PM on 10/13/2010

"The only good thing on this list is helping our wounded soldiers. "

Who need not have been wounded in the first place.

[Toa Reap]

02:10 PM on 09/26/2010

I swear... Republicans couldn't be more Anti American if they tried

[James Leo]

11:56 AM on 09/26/2010

So whats going to happen in January 2011 when all of these newly elected GOP governors realize that either terminate thousands of employees and abandon projects or lobby to continue a program they campaigned against. The real day of reckoning is coming!!!

[bridge to somewhere]

04:08 PM on 10/13/2010

They'll do what they always do: Take credit for anything good and place blame for anything bad. Remember, everything bad is the other guy's fault.

[Malachi Richardson]

11:39 AM on 09/26/2010

Man the president's PR team sucks... Or maybe the GOP are spin gurus.

[eschenk718]

11:14 AM on 09/26/2010

Why is it that most of these people who are middle class do not want to help the poor or unemployed. The other thing that truly bothers me is that they call themselves Christians. "Better to teach someone to fish than give them a fish" That sounds so profound. Guess what, there are no fishing holes, can't afford a fishing pole and live in the middle of the city. I know way too many people who are unemployed. Not one of them, not one single one is lazy. I take that back there is one guy that is really lazy. I am sick and tired of people telling me about someone they know that are cheating the system. People have been cheating the system as long as I can remember and I am old. We have to stop the cheaters who maybe make up 10% but let's not punish the 90% who are just struggling to put food on the table. Two other points, unually the ones who are complaining about the cheaters already are so close to the unemployment line it is scary and the other point is why do we not complain about the rich cheaters. They call this redistribution of wealth if we take from the wealthy. Are we nuts. Where did the wealthy get their money. It didn't fall out of the sky. Lots of it comes from our government, read about it. Warren Buffet isn't bashful about how much he gets.

[AV8R]

11:55 AM on 09/26/2010

It is so much easier to simply blame the victim. If you convince yourself that it is their fault, walking by that homeless person doesn't cause any dissonance. I have a few members of my family that I've had fundamental disagreements with over the years and it took me a while to figure out that they simply do not believe in undeserved poor fortune. In their worldview bad things only happen to bad people. It's really a twisted form of superstition.

[callforchange]

12:20 PM on 09/26/2010

Nor is Warrne Buffet bashful in telling you that percentage wise, he pays less in taxes that his secretary. She pays 39% of what she makes, where he said he pays only 16%.

[roadwobbler]

10:51 AM on 09/26/2010

WOW !!!! Eleven - out of how many?

[fredly2]

10:14 AM on 09/26/2010

And Karl is back with the same old Rove, Bush, Chaney cartel of the rich and powerful to help America to stay in the ditch. Why prosper...all you would get is more taxes. Just imagine your taxes going up as much as five cents a day (perhaps). It's outrageous. Drink our tea and take our country back.

[YMBM]

09:42 AM on 09/26/2010

Projects that would have position America for a better Economy in the Global Market!

[Sfumato2]

09:32 AM on 09/26/2010

Interesting but not surprising, all or most are infrastructure and Renewable energy project... What is the big new GOP idea, to put this country back to work? The evidence is in, that taxes cuts for the wealthiest 2% have had a very negative impact on the growth of our economy. What other cutting edges ideas do they have? Family values are good but they don't pay the mortgage or rent.

[kjpblack]

08:00 AM on 09/26/2010

Great Lets keep this $100 million and Congress can give back the other $700 million!!!!!!

[cellardweller]

07:57 AM on 09/26/2010

"While digging, the contractors discovered fossils that may be millions of years old, including the remains of a camel."

That's nearly $200 million per camel.

What are the feds going to do to relieve traffic in MY hometown?

[Olethea]

08:05 AM on 09/26/2010

What is Bloomberg going to do? I thought you wanted the federal government out of your hometown.

[kcwookie]

08:16 AM on 09/26/2010

One simple answer is nothing if the GOP gets control. You, like the rest of us, took tax cuts and failed to ensure that our infrastructure was cared for and kept up. Now a lot, if not most, needs to be replaced. Where is that money going to come from?

[dgoose50]

03:50 PM on 09/26/2010

Fanned. your Avatar Harry Truman was one of the LAST real democrats that said what he meant and meant what he said."The Buck stops here."

[msgirlintn]

06:07 PM on 09/26/2010

kcxwookie,

Great answer.

Fanned and faved!

[Olethea]

07:53 AM on 09/26/2010

We need to be more vocal about these achievements. Bringing jobs and manufacturing home are HUGE strides nobody is talking about!