You know about the sidewalks of Warren, Rhode Island, where millions were spend on replacing miles of sidewalks hardly anyone walked on, and which, in the rush to spend Stimulus money, were constructed improperly.
You also know about the sidewalks to heaven of Lincoln, Rhode Island, and the sidewalks to nowhere of Boynton, Oklahoma.
Now I present to you the sidewalk fiasco of Lincoln, Nebraska, where Stimulus funds were used to replace hundreds of wheelchair ramps which now must be replaced because the federal interpretations of rules for the slope of the ramps changed after the project was approved but before it was constructed.
As reported by the Lincoln Journal-Star, A mindless waste of money:
The story starts with congressional approval of federal stimulus funding that pumped more than $800 billion into the economy for various projects.In Lincoln, some of that money was designated for construction of sidewalk curb ramps…. The ramps were designed according to specifications that were approved by both the Federal Highway Administration and the Department of Justice.But when the federal inspector came along to make the final check, the work was rejected.Turns out the interpretation of the federal rule changed from the time Lincoln’s designs were approved in early 2010 and when the curbs and ramps were inspected later that year….
Appeals to reason have failed, leading the Journal-Star editors to conclude:
Councilman Jon Camp termed the replacement project an “absolute waste of money.” Councilman Jonathan Cook pleaded, “At some point, there has to be a reasonableness standard.”But as too often is the case, the voices of common sense found themselves powerless to stop the bureaucracy that continues to grind with mindless disregard.
The Editors don’t get it. This is job creation, twice. Once to build the ramps, then to tear them out and rebuild them.
This is good. This is Paul Krugman good. This is broken window good. This is Hurricane Irene good.
And when you rebuild them, tear them out, and build them again. In time for the November 2012 elections, Obama needs the help.
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