The economic stimulus bill has a number, H.R. 1, and there's a copy available from the House Rules committee. I've completed a quick (for some definition of "quick") overview of executive agency appropriations (pages 4-251 of the 647-page bill). I've not yet reviewed the tax changes.
Here are some highlights:
- The agency with the largest allocation of funds is the Department of Education, with $144.217 billion by my count. Most of this is not school modernization, and I'd argue that very little of it bears even a passing acquaintance with "stimulus."
- Next up, the Department of Transportation, at $43.1 billion by my count. The bulk of that, $30 billion, is Federal Highway Administration projects. If that money can be used to fund state projects that are already green-lighted, then it would clearly have positive job impacts.
- Health & Human Services gets $17.9 billion. A lot of these programs have merit, when we aren't borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. And $88 million to replace a headquarters building? Maybe this is a Washington, D.C. jobs bill.
- The Department of Agriculture has a $35.872 billion allocation, but there are two "blank check" appropriations so this is a minimum outlay. Much of that budget, of course, is what we think of as the food stamp program, but a larger part relates to rural development. So some of it might stimulate jobs.
- There is $10.5 billion allocated to the Department of Defense, primarily for construction and facility modernization. Theoretically, construction = jobs. I don't know about you, but investing in defense installations isn't what I have in mind when I think infrastructure investment.
Note that Congress is calling this an "emergency" bill to get around pay-as-you-go restrictions.
Congress is also allocating $247.5 million to three groups to oversee the spending. One is new, the Accountability and Transparency Board, Chaired by "Chief Performance Officer of the President" (who may appoint an "Executive Director"). There are six other members designated by the President, with terms of office to be set by the President. The Board will have an "Independent Advisory Panel." No Congressional oversight other than "give us a report."
One final word about the plan's technology funds: planning.
Where's the planning? If it hasn't been done already, then we'll be throwing money away if we try to spend billions on technology in less than two years. Throwing It Away.
Heck, 25 percent of web projects go over budget! And web projects are simple compared to reengineering health care records, for example. Only about a third of major IT projects are completed on time, less than half on budget. Almost none are on time, on budget and have the feature set at the end that was envisioned at the beginning. Go read The Mythical Man Month; unfortunately it's a true today as when it was written. For a modern take, read The Deadline: A Novel About Project Management.
See HR 1 - 111th Congress - Stimulus Bill As Debated In Committee
From Monday: Economic Stimulus Package Has A Little Something For (Almost) Everyone
Comments
“Fluff” is far too kind a term. How about “thievery”?
More money for Rothschild and Rockefeller bloodlines, they own the Federal Reserve Bank and the UN World Bank. Did I mention Israel as well?
http://www.jewsagainstzionism.com
The last stimulus package 800 Billion dollars by Mr Bush and the republicans went entirely to the same people that got us into this mess, the banks, NONE of it went to help the people paying the bills, you and I. The republican promise was that this 800 Billion was going to stop America from going under, in actuality the only thing it has done was to ensure that all the executives get to keep their multi million dollar salaries.
. If you were to do any in depth reading you would know that to date 350 Billion of the original 800 Billion is currently lost and can not be accounted for.
Yet day-one you nitpick President Obama attempt to help and pass along monies to the people that actually pay the bulk of the taxes.
You dont have a clue!
Hello, MrEthiopian
(1) It’s not day one, but it is the Democrats’ stimulus package
(2) The bulk of the $800+ billion does NOT go to people that pay the bulk of the taxes. That would be the upper 15% of the country’s HHs, and they aren’t getting much if any of the payroll rebate. I haven’t seen what the tax cuts are, however.
(3) Even the people who are below median aren’t getting much.
Well, Well, Those poor Republican Congressmen and women. Sooo busy protecting their territory. Yep !! I voted Republican until it became very obvious that the MIDDLE CLASS pulled the wagon and the lousy Republican President was gleaning the taxpayers money for his richy rich friends and neighbors. I voted for Obama and am proud of it. He is definitely a breath of fresh air in Washington. I just hope the money hogs don’t smother his new ideas and programs. MOST SINCERELY YOURS RUTH COOK
Obama and the Democrats are doing the exact same thing but on an even more grander (and therefore more damaging) scale that Bush and congressional democrats did only a few months ago. These stimulus bills are garbage. They are named to create the effect that they are designed to stimulate the economy (not possible through government spending but anyways). The truth is that Bush tried and now Obama is trying and both times the Democrats in Congress have pushed through these horrible spending bills filled with pork. They are borrowing the money for this bloated big government from Japan and China and our children will owe hundreds of billions in interest and meanwhile the bill will worsen the recession! Government is never the solution, only the problem!
True – most I.T.deadlines usually are never met on time. However, defense contracts that involve I.T. are usually done on time. Why? They use CMM levels, more design and requirements gathering up front and have realistic goals. Corporate I.T. projects usually involves unrealistic deadlines and chaos because of very little design up front and users changing the requirements at the last minute. Web application development and real time software development targeted for fighter jets are two different animals. Software can be done right – if it’s handled like government defense contracts. Think Lockheed Martin instead of Microsoft.
I haven’t looked for stats lately to see if normal (not military, not NASA) government IT projects have an improved trackrecord.
Recognize that I am not talking about just “writing software” — I’m talking about IT projects IN GENERAL, which include websites, ecommerce, purchase and installation of OTS software, network design & implementation and the like.
I don’t think the projects in HR 1 are for custom code. But they are large-scale projects, billions, when there is pressure to “hire now.” Makes me nervous.
Could you comment on the proposed $650 million for Digital TV converters?? What is that?? Let’s postpone the conversion until whenever – who needs it?? Another thing, I heard on CNN that there is an appropriation in this bill to CA (Nancy P’s home state) of approx. $30 million to SAVE A MOUSE — yes you read right, save a mouse. Please!!!!
Hi,Jackie — if there is money for digital converters, it is part of the transition from analog to digital TV. Congress moved the transition date from February to June last week.
Because TV is part of the nation’s emergency communication network, it is in the public interest for as many citizens as possible to be connected to the network. This $40 “chit” (two per HH maximum) offsets the cost of the converter, which will allow older TVS that still get broadcast signals over the air (with an antenna) to stay on the network.
Although I agree with the outlay of money for this program, I do not think it belongs in an emergency stimulus bill.
I was astounded that a bill was voted on that had not been read by any of the voting body. I think we are going to see lots of mice and railway pet projects popping up all over the place. The best way to stimulate the economy is to cut payroll taxes. This could have been done quickly and made a difference of several hundred dollars to some that could pay a house payment or a car payment, not $13.00 or so a week. That is a joke. I also cannot believe that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have not taken any responsibility for this mess we are in. They forced banks to take loans that they knew the borrower could not afford. The oversite committee was warned there was a problem, two years ago. Frank said there was not a problem and it was dropped. I am disappointed with our new president. Where is the open government we were promised? What happened to the campaign promises there would be no ear marks or pork anymore?
I rcvd this from a friend who is ultra-conservative.Is it true ?
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>Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s home district includes San Francisco. **
>Star-Kist Tuna’s headquarters are in San Francisco, Pelosi’s home district. **
>Star-Kist is owned by Del Monte Foods and is a major contributor to Pelosi.**
>Star-Kist is the major employer in American Samoa employing 75% of the Samoan work force.**
>Paul Pelosi, Nancy’s husband, owns $17 million dollars of Star-Kist stock.**
>In January, 2007 when the minimum wage was increased from $5.15 to $7.25, Pelosi had American Samoa exempted from the increase so Del Monte would not have to pay the higher wage. This would make Del Monte products less expensive than their competition’s.**
>Last week when the huge bailout bill was passed, Pelosi added an earmark to the final bill adding $33 million dollars for an ‘economic development credit in American Samoa’.
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Supposedly verifed by Snopes. So is it correct or no ?
According to Snopes, this is a “mixture of true and false information.” However, the “false” part is the direct link from Pelosi to Star Kist. Also, there were no earmarks in the current stimulus bill.
I love President Obama but I think more money should be going directly to the people. The people who are losing their fancy houses are not the only ones in “need”. What about those who are driving shoddy American made cars and don’t have money for repairs on a car, with defects, that is not being recalled by GM even though there has been a class action lawsuit settled for SOME of the people who have experienced the problem. No, just bailout the car manufacturers so they have more money lining their pockets while I live in a mobil home in need of repairs and drive an Oldsmobile Cutlass on its last leg which I recently found out wouldn’t qualify for the lawsuit settlement because I couldn’t afford to repair the problem when it first became evident. There needs to be more input from the people who are really suffering