Miller Newsletter On Stimulus, November 19, 2009 (Corrected)

Statement

For weeks, President Obama has told us that his $787 billion "stimulus" package has saved or created over a million jobs. As proof, the Administration's website Recovery.gov gave us the chance to look at the numbers.

So this week I looked through the President's job claims. I learned that 52 jobs were saved or created in the 34th Congressional District of Florida. 5 jobs created in the 86th District. 46 in District 00. And although $460,000 of your tax dollars were spent in the 53rd District, unfortunately zero jobs were saved.

The problem is, these congressional districts do not exist.

Florida only has TWENTY-FIVE congressional districts.

In fact, according to Recovery.gov, over $11 million has been spent in Florida in districts that just aren't there.

How can the President and Majority Party in Congress expect us to believe their dubious jobs-created claims when their own numbers are patently false? How can we trust the Administration to run the stimulus when they can't even properly manage their own website?

Even the Obama Administration is perplexed. The chief federal oversight official for the stimulus program, Recovery Board Chairman Earl Devaney, confirms that it is impossible to certify that the President's job claims are accurate or auditable. Ed Pound, the communications director for the Recovery.gov website, said he had no idea how these fake congressional districts received stimulus money. When asked by the New Orleans Times Picayune why recipients would plug-in phantom districts, Pound responded, "who knows, man, who really knows?"

I would say to Mr. Pound that the American people know. We know that the Administration is pulling a "jobs created or saved" number out of thin air despite the fact that the unemployment rate remains high. The people of Florida know. We know that although Democrats represent only 10 of Florida's 25 districts, their districts received 60% of the stimulus funds.

These numbers reek of partisanship and potential corruption.

Instead of spending trillions of taxpayer dollars on programs that do not and will not create jobs, the President should focus on cutting taxes on small businesses and supporting an American economy that will create and sustain jobs. Republicans have a plan that will do just that.

*To take a look at your tax dollars hard at work in non-existent Florida districts, visit: http://www.recovery.gov/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=stateSummaryAllCD&statecode=FL

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