Potential Gross Misuse of Stimulus Funds?

WASHINGTON — NCR's news release touting its decision to move jobs from Dayton to the Atlanta, Ga. suburbs includes one factoid that has Ohio lawmakers in a fury: The City of Columbus, Ga. plans to use federal stimulus dollars to buy a building and construct another to accommodate the 870 manufacturing jobs expected to come to the that Atlanta suburb.

"The fact that economic stimulus dollars were used to move an Ohio company to Georgia at taxpayer expense is an outrage," said state Sen. Jon Husted. U.S. Rep. Pat Tiberi, R-Columbus, House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-West Chester and Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, also fired off angry missives. U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Centerville, drafted a letter to President Obama.

There's one problem, according to Columbus Mayor Jim Wetherington. The city doesn't have the $5 million it applied for in stimulus money yet. Nor does it know if it will receive that money.

"We haven't received a penny of federal funds and we don't know whether we will or not," he said. "We put up the money - but if we could get a little help along the way, it would be good."

Still, just the possibility that stimulus money could be used to lure jobs away from Ohio has lawmakers frothing.

Said Tiberi, "Federal stimulus money is being used to create winners and losers among workers in different states and that's just not right; it's dirty." Boehner's spokeswoman also sounded the alarm.

"Ohio lawmakers who voted for the so-called stimulus package before anyone even had a chance to read it need to explain why they voted for legislation that let another state woo away Dayton's only Fortune 500 company, resulting in a devastating economic and emotional blow to our region," said spokeswoman Jessica Towhey.

And Brown was drafting a letter to Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke late Wednesday arguing that economic recovery funds should be used to create jobs, not relocate them.

Pez wrote:Tough call... I'm sure the congressmen from GA have a different view...

floridafun wrote:that is a good one. i hope they can get some other flight options and things look up for them..shame to waste the good facility.

oh...and impeach obama

UPDATED: 8:05 am EDT October 7, 2009

DETROIT -- Detroit's homeless and low-income residents have another opportunity for a chance at millions of stimulus dollars.
The money is available to help low-income residents from becoming homeless and homeless residents to find housing.
Thousands of people lined up Tuesday.
Some people in line falsely believed they were registering for $3,000 stimulus checks from the Obama Administration.
City officials told Local 4 that Detroit was granted $15 million to help residents pay bills and their rent or find temporary housing for the homeless.

LTRT wrote:What a fine thread title for this story to go in!

Residents Get Chance At Stimulus Money
http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/21215978/detail.html

UPDATED: 8:05 am EDT October 7, 2009

DETROIT -- Detroit's homeless and low-income residents have another opportunity for a chance at millions of stimulus dollars.
The money is available to help low-income residents from becoming homeless and homeless residents to find housing.
Thousands of people lined up Tuesday.
Some people in line falsely believed they were registering for $3,000 stimulus checks from the Obama Administration.
City officials told Local 4 that Detroit was granted $15 million to help residents pay bills and their rent or find temporary housing for the homeless.

Whadda' know, people lining up for gov't handouts. This will really bring back Detroit, just like the other day Granholm announcing something about 40k 'green' jobs by 2020. She must've forgotten it's 2009. So much for the stimulus CREATING jobs...as if that had anything to do with it. Looks like the only 'change' coming to Detroit will be loose change in the pockets.

Bman wrote:I guess I see helping people down on their luck as a good investment you would rather have a tax cut in YOUR pocket to help you get that new volvo. GREED will be the downfall of this nation.

To qualify, a person must have been a resident of Detroit for more than six months, must be homeless or facing eviction and must be able to maintain housing after receiving assistance.

Also, a resident must make 50 percent less than the median area income, which would be less than $24,850 for single Detroit residents and less than $35,500 for a family of four.

Bman wrote:GREED will be the downfall of this nation.