Yesterday, Eyeblast.tv hit the streets in Alexandria, VA to talk to some people about their thoughts on whether some little-known programs that were jam-packed into the $787 billion stimulus package passed by the Obama Administration actually were intended to better the economy.
The absurdities include: $3.4 million for a turtle tunnel in Tallahassee, FL. A total of 22 bathrooms in Mark Twain National forest that carried a price tag of $21,000 each ($462,000 total). A genital-washing program in Africa that ran the taxpayers $800,000. Fifty-five thousand ($55,000) in Wichita, Kansas to spay and neuter pets. A total of $356,000 to research how children understand and perceive foreign accents. A whopping $550,000 for a skate park in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. And finally, a bridge connecting two Microsoft campuses costing $11 million (like Microsoft can’t afford that themselves).
As the unemployment rate sits at 9.6%, here is what people thought about the ‘economy-stimulating’ and ‘job creating’ projects:
For more examples of wasteful spending within the stimulus and the lack of jobs created from it, check out the Eyeblast.tv blog for more information.