Congressman David Obey rebukes administration over inaccurate stimulus job reports

[Better Believe It]

Obey rebukes administration over stimulus job reports
By USA TODAY's Congress Team
November 18, 2009


There have been a several stories in recent weeks about the number of stimulus jobs being overstated in reports filed by grant and contract recipients. USA TODAY's Matt Kelley and Brad Heath had one such story on Nov. 3 that showed, for example, how a public housing authority reported creating 450 fulltime jobs with just $26,174 in stimulus funds. In fact, the reporters discovered, only six jobs were created.

These kinds of reporting problems has prompted Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., to issue a rare Democratic rebuke to the administration. Late yesterday, Obey put out a statement "reacting to new reports of inaccuracies on recovery.gov," which is the website maintained by the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board.

“The inaccuracies on recovery.gov that have come to light are outrageous and the administration owes itself, the Congress, and every American a commitment to work night and day to correct the ludicrous mistakes," Obey said in his statement. “Credibility counts in government and stupid mistakes like this undermine it. We’ve got too many serious problems in this country to let that happen."

.... Obey, who ended his statement with this emphatic demand:

“We designed the Recovery Act to be open and transparent and I expect the the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, who oversees the recovery act web site and data to have information that is accurate, reliable and understandable to the American public. Whether the numbers are good news or bad news, I want the honest numbers and I want them now.”

http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2009/11/obey-rebukes-administration-over-stimulus-job-reports.html

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David Obey Slams Obama Administration for Errors in Reporting Stimulus Job Gains
by David Sessions
November 17, 2009

The chairman of the House Appropriations Committee slammed the Obama administration Tuesday for "outrageous" errors in data that led to inflated job-creation numbers on recovery.org, the Web site that reports on the president's stimulus program. The Hill reports that, due to "unrealistic" reports from about a dozen federal agencies, the site incorrectly reported more than 600,000 jobs had been saved or created by the stimulus. An ABC News report outlined some of the site's inaccuracies on Monday.

"The inaccuracies on recovery.gov that have come to light are outrageous and the Administration owes itself, the Congress, and every American a commitment to work night and day to correct the ludicrous mistakes," Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.) said in a statement Monday. "Whether the numbers are good news or bad news, I want the honest numbers and I want them now."

Obey was a major player in writing the stimulus bill, and said he was dismayed to see it failing to meet the goal of complete transparency.


DAVID OBEY

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/11/17/david-obey-slams-obama-administration-for-errors-in-reporting-st/

[Thrill]

1. As usual, Democrats can never wait to eat their own.

Strong Language there.

You would never see a Republican do this. Thats why Democrats are headed back to the minority

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

2. Sounds like a puke with that language, much like the OP does with his endless campaign

to tear the democratic president down.

[Thrill]

4. Fact is Obey could have voiced his concerns with the Administration

behind closed doors. Not aligning yourself with the Republicans and their hit campaign. Which Democrats do far too much. And in the end it only hurts them.

[Jennicut]

11. That is the main point there. Why do other Dems think this will help them or the President?

It is to prove their liberal cred? I don't get it. If you have an issue, take it up in private. Never give the Rethugs a chance to attack you. It is politics 101. If the WH was not listening I could understand but Biden already said he was looking into it. Totally dumb move.

[JTFrog]

6. And he does it on DU's bandwidth. Must make them so proud.

:shrug:

[SpartanDem]

3. What a grandstanding asshole

it not like it was done purpose. Won't be long before another Dem backstabs Obama

Biden asks Recovery.gov to fix errors

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has asked a government Web site to correct statistics indicating stimulus funds have gone to non-existent congressional districts.

Biden's request came after an ABC News report found errors in Recovery.gov's accounting of hundreds of millions of dollars spent and thousands of jobs created or saved in incorrectly numbered or non-existent congressional districts.

"He thinks it is a relatively small problem involving a small number of jobs that exist, but which were entered into Recovery.gov with the wrong coding and therefore the wrong address," Biden spokesman Jay Carney said in an e-mail to Politico. "He expects the problem will be fixed quickly."




http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2009/11/17/Biden-asks-Recoverygov-to-fix-errors/UPI-11751258502003/

[Better Believe It]

8. Yet another personal attack on a liberal member of Congress

So ya think Congressman Obey is too far left for your "centrist" political tastes?

Such nonsense passes for serious politics among a minority on DU.

[phleshdef]

10. A liberal that is a fucking liar that didn't check his facts. I trust Biden, not him, not you.

[SpartanDem]

14. So he a liberal who cares?

It doesn't make it any less grandstanding. I gotta love the logic that says since he liberal he's above criticism.

[elleng]

5. VP Biden discussed this issue on Daily Show Tues. night;

available on Hulu. We're watching and checking carefully, and he's aware of Obey's concerns.

[valleywine]

12. So =did the website have factual errors? Biden did not seem

to really answer the question (based on your comment).

[jillan]

15. Yes he did - did you watch? Biden explained that states go on the sites

and post how they are spending the stimulus dollars. After the state reps post, they then go in & fact check. He even made the example of a state rep from Az said they were in a district that doesn't even exist. They can't control what the states post, but they do go in and fact check - there is just that window between the states posting and the fact checking.

He explained that rather well, I thought. Guess Obey didn't watch either.

[valleywine]

16. my

computer is old and many times freezes up with videos. thanks for the information.

It would be ideal if the gov fact checked before states posted. Democrats do not need this type of public errors when so many people are worried about their jobs and the economy.

[WeDidIt]

7. Ah, Obey is scrambling for some face time on the teevee

Fox will be glad to had his dumb ass.

:eyes:

[Better Believe It]

9. Of course. That's what it's all about. Obey's a right-winger. Thanks for your heads up.

[spiritual_gunfighter]

13. Of course is right

Accuse another liberal of being a Republican because he has a problem with something the Obama admin. has done.