Sen. Tom Coburn wonders why the federal stimulus package is paying for a $300,000 parking lot in the Guilford County town of Summerfield.
The Summerfield parking lot makes the Oklahoma Republican’s list of 100 questionable projects being financed by the stimulus package passed by Congress earlier this year, Rob Christensen reports.
The report, released Tuesday, notes that the federal government is picking up the tab for a project that was already in the town’s budget.
"The way I looked at it is it didn’t really matter how you felt about the stimulus package, which is a reality," the report quotes Town Manager Michael Brandt. "I thought we might as well seek some benefit...If I don’t go for it, somebody else will."
Also on Coburn’s list was the town of Washington N.C. which is using $40,234 grant to hire a project-funding manager whose job is to get more stimulus money.
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Re: Parking lot raises ire
This is what happens when none of our elected officials read the legislation...
This should also serve as a reminder to our Congressional leaders to take their time when considering legislation - for example health care overhauls and new financial regulations - that they will soon face.
We, as constituents, should be utterly outraged, not only with our federal elected officials, but with local officials like Michael Brandt. Since he is a town manager, his salary is funded by the taxpayers and raising concern to the City Council might hold some ground.