Spending puzzle for US agencies; End of 'earmarks' leaves no guidance (Boston Globe)

[Eugene]

Source: Boston Globe

Spending puzzle for US agencies
End of 'earmarks' leaves no guidance

By Charlie Savage, Globe Staff | April 15, 2007

WASHINGTON -- The decision by congressional Democrats to remove
"earmarks" directing funds to lawmaker-favored projects has left
government agencies with billions of dollars in extra money to spend
before the fiscal year ends in September -- and little guidance about
where it should go.

As a result, Bush administration officials are quietly scrambling to
decide how to spend the money under a budget that arrived so late
that the fiscal year was already a third over.

The formerly earmarked programs range from an estimated $300 million
for anticrime efforts to more than $1 billion for road construction,
among many others.

-snip-

Some government watchdog groups are expressing fear that any
stumble in handing out the funds -- such as failing to spend all the
money on time, or approving a dubious program -- could give
Congress an excuse to return to its widely criticized practice of
earmarking.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2007/04/15/spending_puzzle_for_us_agencies

[ixion]

1. spend spend spend

billions that could go to improve infrastructure, rebuild New Orleans, or improve schools will be wasted, just because they 'need' to spend it. :grr:

[formercia]

2. I'm sure Junior has plenty of ideas where to spend it.

It's no surprise they don't know what to do with all of the incompetent administrators that Bush gang installed.