This week, in a stunning act of irony, Kansas Republican Party Chairwoman Amanda Adkins attacked Rep. Dennis Moore for his support of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Never mind that the act has created over 1 million jobs, and Kansas' jobless rate actually declined again last month.
How is this ironic? (I mean, more than usual...)
Well, Amanda Adkins is a top executive at the Cerner Corporation, a company that has advocated for and stands to gain from the very same Recovery Act. In fact, the company itself states on it's website:
...we recognize that our success is rooted in the value of automating the healthcare process, and we are pleased to see that the Obama Administration and Congress understands an investment in healthcare information technology (HIT) benefits the entire U.S. economy.
Smells a little like hypocrisy, eh?
The bottom line: Kansas is benefiting from the Recovery Act and Mrs. Adkins not only knows it, but is experiencing it. Her company stands to receive billions of dollars that will surely help during the recession. But she isn't the only one in Kansas with something to gain. For example, as I wrote about earlier this year, funds from the Recovery Act helped save over 1,000 public safety jobs in Kansas.
Don't take my word for it.
Kansas Governor Mark Parkinson had this to say about the act this summer:
"The Recovery Act has been essential to our state, not only in terms of balancing the budget without demolishing essential state programs, but it's also been important to Kansans who are struggling to get through this national recession..."
There is still a long road to recovery -- but there is no denying the Recovery Act has helped. Just ask Amanda Adkins when she's not acting as the partisan mouthpiece for the "Party of 'No.'"