Good news: Obama creates 30 new jobs in one congressional district. Bad news: No such district
Chicago politics, where voting is such a revered civic duty that people do it even after they're dead, cold, stiff, stuffed, boxed and buried beneath the permafrost for years, has now come to D.C. with the Obama administration.
This afternoon comes the most encouraging economic news, courtesy of our keen-eyed buddy Rick Klein over at ABC, that the Obama administration's $787-billion economic stimulus has, for example, thankfully created 30 new jobs in a little-known rural corner of Arizona at a cost to American taxpayers of only $761,420.
That works out to only $25,380.67 spent to create each individual job.
Seems like a lot per slot, but those 30 folks must be happy to be employed again and paying taxes.
This will be a real feather in the cap of Vice President Joe Biden, who's been left behind and assigned by the ever-campaigning president to monitor the stimulus plan, its spending and effectiveness moving into the crucial midterm elections of 2010. Might the Democrats snatch that House seat?
So the people of that 15th Congressional District in staunchly Republican Arizona should be pretty happy about this.
Trouble is, there is no 15th Congressional District in Arizona. None. Nada. Zip. Zero. Doesn't exist. Not in Arizona. Not even on paper at the Democratic National Committee. There are only eight. Period.
But the administration's much-vaunted recovery.gov website reported these jobs as being created there.
Could well be a computer glitch. Lord knows humans would never make such a dumb, misleading mistake, even in politics.
But then the trouble is that just months after grandly unveiling the recovery.gov website to showcase its economic prowess and tech-savvy, the Obama administration just spent 18 million additional taxpayer dollars to redesign the still new website.
And that site proudly also reported nonexistent new stimulus spending not just in Arizona but other states across the country.
So that looks to have worked pretty well, at least if you're counting computer designer jobs created.
Anyway, how do you think the 15th will vote next year?
-- Andrew Malcolm
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Photo: Josua Roberts / Bloomberg News



What is that? Is that VP Biden doing the Hokie-Pokie?
"You put your right foot in, you put your right foot out......"
Posted by: Tim | November 16, 2009 at 03:44 PM
Is Biden doing the Hokey Pokey in this photo?
Posted by: Melissa | November 16, 2009 at 03:55 PM
Mr. Obama, the most unqualified president ever, invents job creation only in his head. He doesn't give reliable,factual information on anything, he takes what is written for him and then he stand there and read it from a teleprompter.
Posted by: versa | November 16, 2009 at 04:34 PM
Wake up people. Do you want to TRUST a LIAR like this with a government run healthcare plan controlling your private healthcare needs? I don't.
Posted by: mayo | November 16, 2009 at 04:49 PM
Sigh.................................
Posted by: jfhdsiu | November 16, 2009 at 05:27 PM
Anyway, how do you think the 9th will vote next year?
You wrote that last line line as a joke. But I'm not laughing.
Posted by: Russ in North Carolina | November 16, 2009 at 05:29 PM
Sigh.......................Is there no end to this administrations unmitigated gall? Do they really think "We the People" are so naive and gullible? Well, I guess some of us, (them actually), are! They elected this person...........Who doesn't believe that?
Posted by: jfhdsiu | November 16, 2009 at 05:48 PM
These charaacters in power in DC right now are pathological liars
November 2010 cannot come too soon
Or November 1012
Posted by: Tom Eliot | November 16, 2009 at 06:06 PM
So where, I wonder, exactly was that $761,420 spent? The jobs may be imaginary? But where did the money go?
Posted by: Fred | November 16, 2009 at 07:39 PM
As one former president said,
"Kinda seems like Fuzzy Math".
Posted by: Doc | November 17, 2009 at 03:33 AM
Just one question...what agency is responsible for keeping track on how these stimulus dollars are being spent?
Posted by: lulu | November 17, 2009 at 06:31 AM
You lie!
Posted by: boomertx | November 17, 2009 at 06:40 AM
This is too funny to not comment. After hearing G. W. referred to as being next to incomptent in intellect by the left this is just cause for a great start your morning laugh, Ruth san Jose, Ca.
Posted by: Ruth Skidmore | November 17, 2009 at 07:22 AM
Sounds like barry is creating his own "Potemkin" electoral districts.
Now, if only he can shut down Conservative media, he can create anything he darn well pleases (to include statistics, voter counts, poll results), no one will be the wiser, and the sycophants will pant after him all the way down to socialist hell.
Anyone with two firing synapses knows we're in deep doo-doo. The rest of you are to be pitied for your gullibility and good ole fashioned stupidity. A pox on you.
Posted by: dmzrn | November 17, 2009 at 09:57 AM
"Is Biden doing the Hokey Pokey in this photo?"
Nope. That's how a puppet always looks when nobody is pulling the strings.
Obama probably looks the same way when Soros and the others are too busy 'planning the destruction of America' to keep him in motion.
CM
Posted by: Montana Charlie | November 17, 2009 at 11:20 AM
Just when you think it can't get any worse, guess what? It gets worse - by a factor of 10!
Posted by: Doug | November 17, 2009 at 12:38 PM
I am truly appalled with what is happening in our country and our government. Yes I said OUR GOVERNMENT. These people are not qualified to run a Day Care let alone a country the country USA. They should be ashamed of themselves but no because they have served four lousy years in our White House they will receive a pension for life,healthcare for life and bodyguards. This needs to be stopped and stopped now!!! It is robbery and theft in the worse way. The Bible tells us that liars and thieves will not enter the Kingdom of God. Shame on them for their actions.
Posted by: Nancy Eddy | November 17, 2009 at 04:03 PM
$18 MILLION to build a web site???? That is used for nothing more than to spread propaganda? WAKE UP AMERICA! YOUR GOVERNMENT IS OUT OF CONTROL and is LYING to YOU!
Posted by: Blake Hall | November 18, 2009 at 05:57 AM
Does Biden & BHO think we are stupid? He needs to go back to school him and is Chicago Bob, and they want to take over is Socialist Health Care.
Posted by: leon | November 18, 2009 at 09:02 AM
Is V.P. Biden doin' a jig in that picture?
Posted by: James | November 18, 2009 at 09:28 AM
Uhm, if you Google district 15+AZ you come up with a District 15 and a Rep name Kyrsten Sinema and she is a Democrat. Is this wrong here? It does exist, but am I wrong with the reporting?
Posted by: Martin holm | November 18, 2009 at 01:54 PM
8 Congressional Districts - Federal
30 Legislative Districts - State
Yes, Kyrsten Sinema is the State Rep. for the 15th state district. However these are Federal funds, and the article is correct.
Posted by: SickOBarry | November 23, 2009 at 10:57 PM