Federal stimulus dollars intended for job creation in Oakland were spent instead on trips to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and a Concord water park, rent, church repairs, bus passes, salaries and car allowances, according to a state review released Tuesday.
More NewsOakland, which has struggled with a 17.7 percent unemployment rate, received $3 million last year for summer youth, adult and dislocated worker programs. But more than $830,000 of the money received under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act from February to December 2009 was not properly accounted for or was misspent, according to the state Office of the Inspector General.
In addition, state auditors found the city inflated the number of jobs created, claiming 35 when only about six jobs were created with the stimulus dollars.
I read from time to time no matter what the program is that a dollar spent on auditing/fraud recovery returns multiples on that dollar spent. I’ve always wondered why fraud/audit programs are not funded to the max until the return drops below what it costs to maintain.
Fraud–it allows corrupt local officials to feel they are in charge and masters of their little part of the universe.
I think the Repugs refer to it as free market.
Bobbo, that reduces the overall administrative efficiency. We discussed this with regards to Medicare vs insurance funding. You are correct of course on the appropriate funding level. I would go further and maybe spend into the negative territory.
Now with some taxes, the amount spent on collection is less than the amount collected.
Welcome to my homestate! Yes, most of our officials are corrupt but we’re not surprise and we will continue to vote more and more in! And since hardly anyone gets prosecuted we’ll be in sunny sunshine hell for a very long time. Why, just look at our home state now! 🙂
But the weather and for the most part, the people, are nice (meaning not racist) so people like me (Asian) can be live without having to take up guns and kill people randomly 🙂
Corruption, budget squandering, nice weather and nice people. Sounds a lot like Brazil. All you have to do now is learn a little soccer and samba.
Jobs, jobs, jobs and jobs! Let’s vote for jobs!!!! YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Luc,
Don’t remind me! I might have to go there to set up manufacturing there for our product. I’ve already told the bosses I would rather not visit Brazil but there’s no one else to do the job so I’m going…only a matter of time.
Hope the women are fine though 🙂
I’m sure Santa Cruz Boardwalk vendors benefited from the stimulus funds! What’s the problem!
Like to propose Democrats and Republisheep come together united to thank President Obama for saving GM and preserving the jobs of many of their workers.
Today, I here that GM paid back BILLIONS in loans provided by the US and Canada governments.
Proposed letter:
“On behalf of Democrats and Republisheep, we thank you Mr Obama for seeing past the rhetoric, believing in the strength of the domestic automotive industry and preventing millions more from the jobless market.
Sincerely,
Democrats and Repugs
It’s not California, or even one political party. Money corrupts. Don’t care WHO you put in power, no matter how pius they pretend to be to get elected. How about $200 MILLION dollars to arrest a single person. We spend $870 million a year on the silly air marshal program which only arrests 4.2 people a year (not actual terrorists). That’s $200 million per arrest. To make it sillier, MORE AIR MARSHALS have been arrested on various charges (over 2 dozen) than suspects they arrest. LOL
That efficient program, as well as the un-paid for voluntary Iraq war ($1 trillion) and un-paid for Medicare drug program, brought to you by the Republican party. The same folks that want NO regulation on Wall Street (or at least they didn’t want any while THEY were actually in power and COULD have done it). I don’t care what your RHETORIC is, what you CLAIM your philosophy is, same stuff happens. Reagan bailed out the S&Ls, Bush Jr bailed out Wall Street. Maybe we need a 3rd or 4th party.
It really does not matter who runs the store( Government). Their all crooks and full of wasteful spenders. Government cannot save themselves let alone the country. Just look at Government social programs and look at the USPS look at the military or even NASA.
Our infrastructure we have crumbles but yet we build new roads and bridges and yet we have no money to fix the ones we have??
This is because politicians love to create new things which gives them a big old pat on the back. That is why the Stimulus did not work. They should have just gave money to States and Local governments and let them fix what is broken.
#10 I agree. That is why we need to implement an Israeli style air travel security system. I believe the Dept of Homeland Security is looking at that option.
Stimulus, just another word for pisswater. The only way stimulus works if people have more money to spend. For every stimulus package, just give that money back to the people who actually PAY taxes.
Bobbo, this has nothing to do with free markets. But don’t let facts get in the way of your ideology.
Change you can Believe in, Chicago style.
As a relatively new resident of the Santa Cruz area, I can say that this state is beyond screwed. The SEIU, the constitution of this state, the selfish voters who vote for new spending but won’t allow a method to pay, et cetera, et cetera. There is an unfunded $500 Billion pension program for public employees – http://tinyurl.com/2gx9w6v
Corruption, greed, etc. is out of whack just about everywhere. But the bizarro combination of very liberal folks who are equally corrupt to the vast conservative Central Valley is absolutely fascinating. Check out the ridiculous mayor of Oakland – http://tinyurl.com/29yxt7g
This is absolutely one of the most beautiful places to live and there are truly wonderful people I meet almost every day. Hence, I love it even with those other problems.
Government always leads to waste and corruption. And you trust these same politicians to regulate the market? No wonder we suffer through the “business cycle”. What will it take for people to realize taxation is at the root of this problem? If taxes were voluntary, I’d bet dollar to donuts everyone in oakland would be withholding theirs after news like this broke. If the government wasn’t a monopoly, it would’ve been out of business long ago.
Is the headline implying there is a state where the government isn’t absolutely corrupt in every nook and cranny. Must not be in the USA because corruption is thriving in every corner here.
#18, Micromike,
Haven’t been to many other countries, have you?
SO GM is profitable now? Has the US government sold off its share yet?
The US provided about $50 billion in funds to GM. GM has paid back 8 billion. Hmmm….
@MikeN, #21
Haven’t you heard? GM stands for Government Motors now, so the tax payers get a share of any profits. Yay!
Oh the idiot mayor has responded – http://tinyurl.com/2g3ohnb
“It’s much ado about nothing, man,” Dellums said in his first comments on the matter. “It’s an accounting matter.”