A couple of months ago I made a plea for genuine oversight of the federal stimulus dollars flowing into our state.  While the governor’s office did enact a few minor measures, real checks and balances have not been instituted.

There are several reasons why I called for a transparent process in regard to the distribution of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) money.  My top concern has always been and continues to be, that with $25 billion in taxpayer money being spent, the public should know where the money is going, how it is being used and how many jobs are being created.

Now a couple of specific instances have come to light that emphasize my concerns. 

Recently, a number of concerned constituents brought to my attention the governor’s plan to post specially designed road signs identifying economic stimulus projects.  When I heard of this farce I was stunned.  Nearly $1 million will be used to produce and post signs alerting people to stimulus work sites.  Some of these signs will cost as much as $8,000 apiece, all just to pat government on the back.