More For Bureaucrats, Less For Bricks And Mortar

Echoing other officials who have quietly announced the diversion of stimulus cash originally intended to fund construction of public facilities, GAO Acting Comptroller General Gene Dodaro testified Thursday before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that states which will be spending the bulk of the appropriations for infrastructure will not be able to adequately monitor the expenditures. Vice President Biden has written to Chairman Joseph Lieberman and Ranking Member Susan Collins of that committee promising that OMB sill propose new guidance permitting states to shift funding away from bricks and mortar to state auditor offices for the hiring of more bureaucrats to count the beans. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee chairman Edolphus Towns has also announced his intent to put a bill in the hopper redirecting funds from construction to state auditors.