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Signs of a Failed Stimulus: Be A Citizen-Watchdog

Washington, September 22, 2010 | Patrick
As the days count down before Democrats shut down Congress to head home for the fall, the debate is heating up among House and Senate Democrat leaders over who will jump off the cliff first to vote for President Obama’s tax hikes. Meanwhile, my work with my fellow Republicans on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee to root out waste, fraud, and abuse within the federal government continues to push forward. As Democrats fight among themselves over recklessly raising taxes during a recession, they continue to waste millions of your tax dollars on road signs that announce stimulus projects. Legally, the use of these signs is tantamount to propaganda, and their production could potentially amount to $192 million once they are all complete.
As the days count down before Democrats shut down Congress to head home for the fall, the debate is heating up among House and Senate Democrat leaders over who will jump off the cliff first to vote for President Obama’s tax hikes.

Meanwhile, my work with my fellow Republicans on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee to root out waste, fraud, and abuse within the federal government continues to push forward.  As Democrats fight among themselves over recklessly raising taxes during a recession, they continue to waste millions of your tax dollars on road signs that announce stimulus projects.  Legally, the use of these signs is tantamount to propaganda, and their production could potentially amount to $192 million once they are all complete.

That’s why we at Team Oversight are seeking the investigative help of Americans who do not want to see taxpayer-funded signs used to promote the “so-called” stimulus, which has not fulfilled its job-creation promises.  Have you seen a stimulus sign?  Take pictures of any “stimulus promoting” signs you see and send them in with their location to stimulussigns@mail.house.gov.


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This project calls for the American public’s help in getting answers about why the Administration has chosen to potentially waste $192 million in taxpayer dollars on pro-stimulus advertising even as the spending splurge has failed to meet the President’s own promises. The stimulus was supposed to keep unemployment below 8% and generate more than 4 million private sector jobs by the end of 2010. Today, national unemployment stands at 9.6% and the rate in the Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir area is 12.7%.  Over 14 million Americans cannot find work and more than 2.5 million people have lost their jobs since the stimulus became law.

We need to cut spending in economic times like these and not allow $192 million dollars to be spent on road signs promoting government projects. I hope you’ll help our efforts as government watchdogs to locate all of these signs nation-wide. You can see them all here in this online map.

- Patrick