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Harrisburg, Pa. - With the $787 billion federal stimulus package came a promise of accountability. That's why state and federal leaders created websites so taxpayers can track the spending. In some cases, it's been difficult to do because information is limited.
The websites don't reveal the price of every bolt and screw used on a stimulus project, but should they? After all, we're paying for them. Despite the details that are included online, some taxpayers don't think we'll really ever know exactly where all the money is going.
There is fear, even among those who oversee federal spending, that billions of stimulus dollars could be lost to waste and abuse.
The Obama administration has pledged to open the books on stimulus spending online, at www.recovery.gov, where we're supposed to be able to track every dime. The site even has a link for Pa., and outlines stimulus projects at the local level.
So far, there's not very much detail. Some taxpayers said that's not good enough.
"I think it has to be addressed, said Carl Muller of Mechanicsburg. "It has has to be corrected. If it's not there, it has to be done as soon as tomorrow."
Recovery.gov promises, as the money starts to flow, far more data will become available. In fact, the money is flowing and dirt is flying. Vice President Biden was in Cumberland County last week for a stimulus project groundbreaking.
Online, the contractor is identified, as is the $1.7million price tag, but there's no information about how many people were put to work or a breakdown of the money.
"There's money everyday being spent. How do we know it's going to the war? How do we know it's going to Afghanistan? How do we know what they're doing in Korea? All this money, we don't know anything ever and we're not going to know about this," said
Cynthia Amedeo of Harrisburg.
We found four other road and bridge stimulus projects that have already been scheduled to start. Again, there's no detailed spending information. Apparently, according to Recovery.gov, those who receive stimulus money aren't required to file a report until the fall.
Earl Devaney, the federal watchdog of stimulus spending, predicts of the $787billion, more than $50 billion could go to waste, gobbled up by fraud.
"The president needs to call the stimulus package back," said Loretta Myer of Mechanicsburg. "If that is the percentage, then that is bad. It doesn't say much for those that we put our trust in."
Myer's opinion is shared by others. According to a Rasmussen Reports telephone poll taken last week, 45-percent of Americans said the rest of the stimulus plan should be cancelled.
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