Obama Warns Mayors Not to Waste Stimulus Money

[Hissyspit]

Source: Associated Press

Obama warns mayors not to waste stimulus money

From Associated Press
February 20, 2009 1:37 PM EST
WASHINGTON - Invoking his own name-and-shame policy, President Barack Obama warned the nation's mayors on Friday that he will "call them out" if they waste the money from his massive economic stimulus plan. "The American people are watching," Obama told a gathering of mayors at the White House. "They need this plan to work. They expect to see the money that they've earned - they've worked so hard to earn - spent in its intended purposes without waste, without inefficiency, without fraud."

In the days since the White House and Congress came to terms on the $787 billion economic package, the political focus has shifted to how it will work. Obama has staked his reputation not just on the promise of 3.5 million jobs saved or created, but also on a pledge to let the public see where the money goes.

His budget chief this week released a 25,000-word document that details exactly how Cabinet and executive agencies, states and local organizations must report spending. It is a system meant to streamline reports so they can be displayed on the administration's new Web site, Recovery.gov.

Using his presidential pulpit, Obama demanded accountability, from his friends in local government as well as his own agencies. He said the new legislation gives him tools to "watch the taxpayers' money with more rigor and transparency than ever," and that he will use them. "If a federal agency proposes a project that will waste that money, I will not hesitate to call them out on it, and put a stop to it," he said. "I want everyone here to be on notice that if a local government does the same, I will call them out on it, and use the full power of my office and our administration to stop it."

Read more: http://enews.earthlink.net/article/top?guid=20090220/499e46e0_3ca6_1552620090220109987286

[CTyankee]

1. I love it!

Thank you, President Obama!

[no_hypocrisy]

2. In other words, the way the money is spent will be accountable to the taxpayers.

[tabatha]

3. Let's hope these tools become part of the government

and cannot be reversed.... ever.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

4. Be careful what you wish for.

With those words, I'm quick to recall the whole nuclear option or Patriot Act debate. Sure, on the surface, these "tools" might be used to reduce waste. They might also be used in the wrong hands to easily justify the elimination of essential government programs on the flimsy pretext that they are wasteful.

[PatSeg]

5. Good point

We really need to always remember where we've been.

[tabatha]

6. There is never anything wrong with transparency.

It will disallow those who make stuff up to get any traction.

It will demonstrate where there are problems.

There should ALWAYS be transparency.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

8. There is never anything wrong with "pure" transparency, no.

When you get into "selective" transparency or abused transparency, that is where problems lie. I'm just saying that we should never forget the opposite side of power, in any of its forms.

[tabatha]

9. Transparency == pure.

Otherwise it is not.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

11. But that's where you're wrong.

Who determines what information is needed to achieve "transparency"? You're thinking that this is a black and white issue, when there are many, many shades of grey involved here.

[tabatha]

14. Well, then, there will never be transparency.

The word does not apply.

[florida08]

7. good

Stearn warnings are needed as we know republicans want this to fail.

[bdamomma]

10. bang them out President Obama you tell them!!!!

[glinda]

12. How can we help stop those projects before any money is spent on them though?

I totally distrust some Mayors as well as our Governor in any respect to this. I particularly have a huge mistrust of some Agencies such as MnDot.

[marasinghe]

13. excellent, mr. president. now, can we put some regs. in place ...

... to enforce the accountability you require?
and extend them to state govt., & bankers?
not forgetting the corps. feeding off the bill?
thanks.