This is where your money went

Remember all those stimulus dollars Washington said were needed to so the government could create jobs? Spoiler alert! If you have faith in men to deliver us from an evil economy via endless spending and government expansion, stop reading now. But if you want to see a report card on how hundreds of billions of your tax dollars and borrowed money was actually spent, read on—but be prepared to be outraged.

Mish’s Global Economic Trend Analysis highlights “100 Ridiculous Projects” as brought to our attention by Sen. John McCain and Sen. Tom Coburn. Here are a few:

1. “Almost Empty” Mall Awarded Energy Grant ($5 million): The Department of Energy has announced an award for up to $5 million to install a geothermal energy system capable of heating an almost-empty mall in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.2. Renovations for Federal Building as Expensive as New Building ($133 million): Taxpayers in Oregon may be surprised to learn that the largest stimulus project in their state is … a $133 million makeover for the federal building in downtown Portland. The money will go toward greening the Edith Green/Wendell Wyatt Federal Building in the hope of making it a model for energy [efficiency]. … Agency officials expect to construct a type of vegetative skin—made of plants—on the exterior of the building, to help with heating and cooling costs. …5. Water Pipeline to a Money-Losing Golf Course ($2.2 million): A $2.2 million stimulus grant will help pay for new pipes to pump recycled water to the Sharp Park Golf Course in San Francisco, California. Unfortunately, the golf course may not exist for much longer. The City Council is considering closing the public course over concerns for the California red-legged frog and the San Francisco garter snake that live in the area.23. Studying the Icelandic Arctic Environment in the Viking Age ($94,902) ….33. Study on “Hookup” Behavior of Female College Coeds ($219,000): [To] determine whether young women are more likely to hookup—the college equivalent of casual sex—after drinking ….35. Study of Wildflowers in a Ghost Town ($448,995) ….38. Recovering Crab Pots Lost at Sea ($700,000) ….50. Arizona Ants Work … ($950,000): Two major universities in the state are receiving a combined $950,000 to examine the division of labor in ant colonies ….51. Study on Why Young Men Do Not Like Condoms ($221,355) ….56. Homeland Security Funds Assist Boat Tours of Alcatraz ($50,783) ….

The above is just a brief sample of Washington waste. Check out the full report here.

As Mish’s Mike Shedlock says, “This is totally outrageous but not unexpected. Every bit of this is pure waste. It is exactly what happens when government gives out free money. Supposedly this waste adds to gdp. Government spending, no matter how absurd or destructive, adds to gdp by definition. And with all this money sloshing around, the only bump we got out of this was a 2.8 percent rise in gdp, no doubt most of it wasted.”

Now the House of Representatives has approved another $1.1 trillion spending package despite the fact that there is still plenty of money left to be spent from the previous stimulus bill.

“I see these bills as an opportunity to reverse years of neglect—neglect to our roads and bridges, neglect to our lower-income neighbors and friends, neglect to our education system, neglect to our veterans,” said Democrat Rep. Jim McGovern.

Ha. Lest we forget. The Bush administration spent more money and added more debt than any other administration in history. But if the current administration has its way, that record won’t last for long.