Examples of Wasted Obama Stimulus Money in North Carolina

Obama Stimulus Waste in North Carolina

Remember last year when we had to pass the stimulus package immediately, or unemployment would go to 8.5%? Well, unemployment peaked so far at over 10%, and the nearly 800 billion dollars that made up the stimulus has been used just like a typical big government spending spree.

I remember many ludicrous spending stories shortly after the stimulus plan was approved, but hadn’t heard of any recent transactions that bordered on the absurd. That is, until I happened across a blog from the John Pope Institute () that gave examples of the reckless stimulus spending in the state of North Carolina. Here is a “best of Obama Spending” list, as written by Brian Balfour of the Institute.

View this list as quasi-humorous, but please keep in mind that this type of spending is what may bring our county to its knees.

Stimulus Waste in the Great State of North Carolina

1. Study of monkeys using cocaine: $71,623
Wake Forest University was granted money to “study the effects of self-administering cocaine on the glutamate system on monkeys.” Well, at least the monkeys will be stimulated.

2. North Carolina Dance Theatre: $50,000
This grant is used to retain four professional dancers from the North Carolina Dance Theatre’s second company. Nice for them, but why are tax dollars financing what should be a privately-funded philanthropic organization?

3. Reducing hot flashes through yoga: $147,694
Funds granted to Wake Forest University to study “preliminary data on the efficacy of integral yoga for reducing menopausal hot flashes.” The President warned us that the stimulus plan was needed to avoid an economic “catastrophe.” How does this study help revive the economy?

4. Collecting, researching and reporting on the stimulus act: $115,000; $150,000; $227,940
Total: $492,940
Nearly half a million taxpayer dollars will go toward funding more propaganda selling the “benefits” of the stimulus plan. The federal government created the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, while North Carolina established the Office of Economic Recovery & Investment for these very purposes. Apparently, that’s just not enough propaganda.

5. Create interactive dance performance technology: $762,372
This grant to UNC-Charlotte will fund the development of computer technology to digitally record the dance moves of performers. The recorded movements can then be reviewed and manipulated by a computer program. Although creating virtual-reality type technology for dance movements may be interesting to those involved, how does this serve to “protect the education of our children”? At an average salary of roughly $47,000, this money could have saved 16 North Carolina teacher jobs.

6. American Dance Festival, Inc.: $50,000
A graphic designer and archivist will retain their jobs thanks to this grant. The American Dance Festival hosts dance classes, workshops and engages in other charitable activities to help support dancers. How will this help reverse a major international financial crisis, exactly?

7. Construction of a new Town Hall in Bladenboro: $200,000; $100,000
Total: $300,000
Why are taxpayers from across the country forced to finance construction of a local government office? This is a classic case of earmark pork spending.

8. North Carolina Folk Life Institute:$25,000
With the help of this grant, the Institute was able to retain its executive director. Will this help “provide relief to North Carolina’s families”?

9. Preservation of an insect collection at North Carolina State: $253,123
We were promised that the stimulus was going to “save jobs.” We were never told it would also help preserve dead bugs.

10. Greensboro Symphony Orchestra: $50,000
These funds are used to retain the GSO’s director of marketing and education manager. More bailouts of what should be a privately-funded organization.

Click here for A full list of the Obama Stimulus Expenditures

Tags: Governent Waste, Government spending, obama, Stimulus

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 6:22 am and is filed under Obama Administration. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.