GOP Stimulus Myths

ARRA: Sec. 1604: None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available in this Act may be used by any State or local government, or any private entity, for any casino or other gambling establishment, aquarium, zoo, golf course, or swimming pool.

The items Paulsen cites instead are taken from a lengthy wish list of infrastructure projects that the U.S. Conference of Mayors says are "ready to go" and could be funded quickly with federal dollars. The mayors' report, dated Jan. 17, was compiled to demonstrate to Congress that localities should get a good amount of whatever stimulus money was approved, according to the city of Austin, Texas. In other words, the mayors were lobbying for federal money to come to them. The seven projects Paulsen singles out for ridicule are among 18,750 that the Conference of Mayors compiled through four surveys of U.S. cities conducted over three months. In an e-mail, the Conference of Mayors tells us that "we didn't make any editing to the information [cities] provided us," adding that these were just examples and that "the Government will decide what to fund, not us."

All of Paulsen's picks are also in a Wall Street Journal article highlighting these seemingly less-than-necessary requests. The Journal said "the bulk of proposals are roads, sewers and similar projects." But "some localities," it noted, "are using a kitchen-sink strategy."
 
That was indeed the strategy of Chula Vista, Calif., which listed more than 50 projects totaling half a billion dollars, including one historic property project that actually needed a kitchen sink. "We threw everything that was shovel ready onto a list and submitted it to the Conference of Mayors," says Chula Vista Director of Communications Liz Pursell, adding that "we did throw on the kitchen sink."

Chula Vista also included a $500,000 dog park as a project worthy of possible federal funding, but Pursell says it "was never a priority" on the stimulus list and any of the proposed projects still would need to be vetted by the city council. So far Chula Vista hasn't received a penny of stimulus funds.

The city of Austin said it could use $886,000 for a 36-hole "disc golf course" (that's a Frisbee disc golf course), according to the Conference of Mayor's report. But Austin government relations officer John Hrncir told us that he didn't think the project would qualify for any funding under the ARRA. "And regardless," he said, "I don't think it will be on the list of city priorities."

On its Web site, the city of Austin goes into greater detail of how this "disc golf course" seemed to be on a list of requests for stimulus money. It says that in October the Conference of Mayors asked cities for a list of "ready-to-go" projects. The city says that it didn't have time to prioritize any of the projects, which "were not necessarily intended to be submitted to any federal agency for funding."

Austin has compiled another, more serious list of programs that it believes actually could receive stimulus funds. That one was submitted to Texas' Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO), which, according to the city, has said the only projects likely to get federal funds through ARRA are transportation improvement projects.

A Paulsen aide admitted to us that no funds are specifically allocated for the projects the congressman mentioned in his letter.  "We didn't say they were in the bill," said Legislative Assistant Desiree Westby. But "inappropriate requests such as these will be considered for funding." Maybe so, but Paulsen's letter didn't say they would be "considered," he said they "will" be funded.

Republished with permission from factcheck.org.

Sources
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Elmendorf, Douglas W. Letter to Sen. Judd Gregg. Congressional Budget Office, 4 Feb. 2009.

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"Army Announces Historic Electric Vehicle Lease." News release, U.S. Army. 12 Jan. 2009.

U.S. Conference of Mayors. " 'Ready to Go': Jobs and Infrastructure Projects." America's Mayors Report to the Nation on Projects to Strengthen Metro Economies and Create Jobs Now, 17 Jan. 2009.

Levitz, Jennifer and Philip Shishkin. "Stimulus Brings Out City Wish Lists: Neon for Vegas, Harleys for Shreveport." Wall Street Journal, 4 Feb. 2009.

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