Friday, 19 February 2010
Few things boil my blood more than when I read about certain recipients of the federal stimulus plan money given to
Massachusetts.
According to The Boston Globe, about $1.5 million is designated to fix a lighthouse on an uninhabited island,
almost $95,000 went to UMass to study Icelandic Pollen, $9 million is for a pedestrian bridge at Gillette Stadium, and
$100,000 went to Harvard for a "high-end"microscope.
If the goal of the stimulus funds was to create jobs and stimulate the economy, why didn't Massachusetts instead
use these funds to rehire laid off DMH/DDS workers? These people were already employed and paying taxes,
and didn't need to create faux work. They had work - helping the disabled population live and work in our communities.
I question our administration's accountability, priorities and common sense when it comes to dispersing stimulus funding
to the disability community. And, sadly, the answer that comes to mind is taxpayer-sponsored boondoggles.
Sharon Marie
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