No Earmarks in the Recovery Bill

There are no earmarks in the Recovery Bill (if you need an earmark primer, visit previous blog entries) because they were forbidden by the President and Congressional leadership. But look more closely.

The vast majority of recovery dollars flow through established formula to states and localities or through existing competitive federal programs (look for RFPs in the coming weeks.) Because the funding will flow through existing programs, it must be used in ways that are consistent with the requirements of those programs. For example, in the Energy Efficiency arena, Weatherization funds will be given to state agencies who will disburse the funds to local projects consistent with existing federal Weatherization Program requirements.

Not every dollar of the stimulus bill will be spent wisely or well. Certainly some undeserving organizations/agencies will receive funding and will not produce the results they promise or meet federal program guidelines. On balance, though, I believe the Recovery Bill will ease financial pressure on states, will improve educational opportunities for kids and young adults, and will keep many engineers, academics, trades people, and insulation installers (among others) employed.

What do you think?