Fifteen million doesn’t sound like that much of a problem.
Gore should match that contribution with all he has made with his clean air hype.
“Fifteen million doesn’t sound like that much of a problem..”
Multiply it by thousands of these “small” vote buying, supporter keeping buys (many “green”) using tax payer money. But how many jobs were “saved or created?”
This 2010 article explains some of this “scam”:
“Report stresses stimulus logjam”
By Asher Price, AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF - Sept 26, 2010
In December, Austin won $7.5 million in federal energy-efficiency stimulus money to improve the lighting at City Hall, undertake a retrofit of a building that houses first responders, upgrade duct work at fire stations, and install equipment to capture methane and convert it to electricity at the city’s southeast solid waste plant, among other projects.
But as of Aug. 1, the city had spent only 2 percent of the money. Same goes for the $45.6 million awarded to the State Energy Conservation Office . Round Rock, which won $955,400, had spent 6 percent of its share of the money. The city has hired a consultant to plan the rest of the spending.
Those figures are in a federal Government Accountability Office report issued this month on the accountability of stimulus money.
The report focuses on a relatively small pot of money, $208.9 million awarded to the state to promote energy efficiency programs and create or retain jobs.
Although the numbers in the report are already outdated and the cities say they are on course to meet spending requirements, the report suggests the larger trickle-down challenges of spending the federal money meant to circulate quickly, effectively and efficiently.
City officials in Austin and Round Rock reported that although the federal money has “been helpful in furthering specific efforts, such as energy efficiency and rehabilitation of homes, the funds have had a limited overall impact on their ability to address ongoing fiscal challenges,” according to the report.
The cities have until 2012 to spend the money and say they are on track to do so. Austin’s Fred Yebra, director of energy efficiency services for Austin Energy, says that now 12 percent of the money has been spent.
More than 81 percent of Austin’s money is tied up in contracts for planned work.
“We’re on schedule to get it done,” Yebra said. “There are lots of requirements that come with these grants, and we have to be very, very judicious in the ways we’re spending the money. It starts off slow, then just starts ramping up.
“We have contractors under contract, and they’re the ones building up the work force to get these projects done.”
Round Rock officials also say much progress has taken place since March, when that city’s share of the federal money was awarded.
Since statistics were reported to the GAO, spending has increased in the city, with 40 percent of the money now spent.
In September, for instance, Round Rock awarded a contract for $22,010 to replace lights at 12 city-owned facilities. Officials estimate that will translate into three jobs being retained.
In August, Round Rock retained Austin-based Solar Community for a $212,268 contract to put solar panels atop the City Hall parking garage. The project, estimated to be completed in February, will lead to nine jobs being created or retained.
The city is also paying ESA Energy Systems Associates Inc. $36,840 to provide assistance for implementing energy efficiency strategies. The company was already paid $11,415 to develop the grant application and strategy submitted to the U.S. Department of Energy to win the federal energy efficiency money.
The GAO report also looked at the State Energy Conservation Office, which plans to allocate the majority of its $45.6 million in federal funding to small cities and sparsely populated counties that don’t qualify for direct grants from the Department of Energy. Eighty-nine percent of the money is obligated through contracts with local entities — 1,061 cities and counties in Texas will receive the federal money, with an average grant of $39,000. As of mid-August, only 2 percent of the money had essentially been regifted.
The state pays the cities and counties after they send in invoices for work that is done, said R.J. DeSilva, a spokesman for the Texas comptroller’s office, which oversees the energy conservation office.
“This is to ensure projects follow guidelines and to avoid waste or fraud,” he said, adding that the state is on track to disburse the money before its 2012 deadline .
With little spending has come little or no job creation thus far. From April to June, the quarter GAO officers examined, Round Rock reported that less than one full-time employee position had been created or saved with federal dollars. The energy conservation office reported approximately eight workers.
Austin and Bryan said they did not create any jobs during the quarter, but Austin expects its first job report in October.
The spending build-up in Texas cities “is following a nationwide trend,” said Lorelei St. James, acting director of the physical infrastructure team at the GAO’s Dallas field office. “A lot of money has been obligated, but as in Texas, it hasn’t all been spent yet.”
Overall, Texas officials say $12.2 billion has been spent of the approximately $19.8 billion in federal stimulus money it has been awarded.” [end]
http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local/report-stresses-stimulus-logjam-1/nRyFD/