The 10 Worst Federal Stimulus Projects in North Carolina: Hot Flashes, Dead Bugs, and Cocaine for Monkeys
Prior to signing his Federal “Stimulus” bill in early 2009, President Obama warned, “If we do not move swiftly to sign (the act) into law, an Economy that is already in crisis will be faced with catastrophe.”
Here in North Carolina, Governor Perdue similarly declared that we were “facing the consequences of the national economic crisis,” and that failure to pass the stimulus bill would “jeopardize the education of our children and the health care of our citizens.”
She further noted that the stimulus will help “Create Jobs, Stimulate the Economy, and provide relief to North Carolina's families.”
However one year later, the debate over the stimulus bill’s effectiveness rages on.
A close inspection of stimulus grants and contracts awarded to North Carolina reveals a rather questionable strategy for the disbursement of stimulus funds. Many projects seem completely unrelated to avoiding an economic “catastrophe,” but rather an ad hoc satisfaction of countless dubious wish lists.
The Civitas Institute poured through the Federal Recovery Act website charged with tracking stimulus spending, and created the following list – The 10 Worst Federal Stimulus Projects in 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 Dead 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.
Charlotte Leaders, Peter Gorman, CMS Move Toward Lay-Offs, Maybe School Closings
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is moving ahead with plans to cut 880 jobs, and the board will need to decide in March whether to close schools to save money in 2010-11, Superintendent Peter Gorman said today.
At a news conference this morning, Gorman said he’s moving forward on all four levels of cuts he presented last week. Those included eliminating 658 teacher jobs; making unspecified cuts to Central Administration, transportation and building maintenance; and eliminating middle-school sports.
And he’s crunching numbers on more dire scenarios, such as closing underfilled schools, eliminating magnet busing and delaying the opening of two new high schools. In private talks with board members that have lasted two to 3 1/2 hours, Gorman has outlined which schools might face closing and how much that would save. Neither he nor board members have disclosed details.
Big-city school districts across the country are planning to lay off teachers and close schools, as the recession lingers for another year.
The board could still back away from some of the proposed cuts, but the district must move quickly to meet legal guidelines for some layoffs and to settle questions that affect staff and students.
On Tuesday, Gorman told the board he’ll delay his formal budget proposal from March 9 to April 12, similar to what he did last year when faced with major cuts. The board will vote on a budget May 11 and present it to county officials later that week.
Ultimately, the number of jobs cut depends on how much money the state and county provide – information that won’t be in hand until summer.
Gorman said today the board must decide about closings, delays and major busing changes during three special budget meetings in March. He and several board members say keeping Hough and Rocky River high schools empty for a year is the least popular option, but there’s been no vote to eliminate that plan from consideration.
Board members say they expect to see significant changes in the six regional administrative offices Gorman launched two years ago.
Some have voiced interest in finding other ways to pay for middle-school sports, such as adding admission fees for those events or tacking a surcharge onto high-school tickets.
CMS is competing with other agencies for scarce county money, and some members say they want to be more aggressive in asking for extra money to open the new high schools and deal with enrollment growth. But board chair Eric Davis says the talk of dire cuts isn’t posturing to pressure Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Commissioners.
“This is not a game we’re playing,” he said.
Video and written information about Charlotte-Mecklenburg budget planning are available on the district’s Web site. Gorman’s news conference will air on CMS-TV Cable 3 at 10 p.m. today and 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Thursday.
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Sources: John W. Pope Civitas Institute, Recovery.gov, McClatchy Newspapers, WCNC, Youtube, Google Maps
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