We’ve noted before that President Barack Obama $787 billion stimulus package will lead to billions in waste, overload federal and state agencies not staffed to accommodate Obama’s unprecedented explosion of spending, and that Obama’s claims of job creation (or salvation) numbers are so vague that proper accountability is almost impossible.
Testimony from acting Comptroller General Gene Dodaro today shows that the Government Accountability Office shares these same concerns. The GAO’s report, “RECOVERY ACT: As Initial Implementation Unfolds in States and Localities, Continued Attention to Accountability Issues Is Essential” reads:
Recipients of Recovery Act funding face a number of implementation challenges in this area. The Act includes many programs that are new or new to the recipient and, even for existing programs; the sudden increase in funds is out of normal cycles and processes. Add to this the expectation that many programs and projects will be delivered faster so as to inject funds into the economy and it becomes apparent that timely and efficient evaluations are needed.
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Officials in nine of the 16 states and the District expressed concern about determining jobs created and retained under the Recovery Act, as well as methodologies that can be used for estimation of each.
