The Stimulus Bill May Be Good For Some Laughs

[Oshkosh, WI] In 2009, Russ Feingold voted for a stimulus bill he said would create jobs and pontificated that the funds should be spent wisely. But since that time Wisconsin has lost 82,000 jobs, Feingold is defending his vote, and a new report details 100 egregious examples of unwise stimulus spending.

Senator Feingold’s vote for the stimulus bill sent $712,883 to researchers at Northwestern University to create a joke machine.  American’s hard earned tax money will be spent to develop “machine-generated humor.”  A computer will be trained to use jokes from the internet in order to mimic real comedians and create presentations worthy of a few laughs.

During a time of economic crisis in Wisconsin, workers and families need real solutions to put our economy back on track.  Voting for a trillion dollar spending bill that funds projects such as joke machines is an insult to hard-working taxpayers in Wisconsin.

“Senator Feingold’s wasteful spending on a joke machine is no laughing matter for the people of Wisconsin,” said Juston Johnson, Campaign Manager for Ron Johnson for Senate. “Senator Feingold is a career politician who carelessly spends taxpayer money wasteful projects that do nothing to help our economy.  I doubt the Senator will be laughing very hard on Election Day when the voters go to the polls for someone who will represent their true interests in Washington.”

The Johnson Campaign will be highlighting wasteful stimulus spending projects Russ Feingold believes are getting the job done for Wisconsin families until Election Day.

Stimulus Facts:

Feingold Said “Stimulus” Must Be Spent Wisely. “Now that the economic recovery package has been signed into law, our focus must be on the challenges ahead, including getting our fiscal house in order and making sure that there is strong oversight of these taxpayer dollars. These funds must be spent wisely if they are to truly work for Wisconsin’s families.”  (Editorial, “Russ Feingold: Stimulus Package Makes Sense,” La Crosse Tribune, 2/25/2009.)

Three days prior to the signing of the stimulus, Senator Feingold issued a press release saying the stimulus would create 2.4 million jobs in the first year, and about nine million jobs in the first three years. (Senator Russ Feingold, ”Statement of U.S. Russ Feingold On The Economic Recovery Package,” Feingold Press Office, February 10, 2009.)

Feingold Provided the 60th Vote for the Stimulus Package. (H.R. 1, 2009 Roll Call #64: Adopted 60-38, 2/13/09, Feingold Voted Yea)

The National Economy has lost over 2.2 Million jobs since the stimulus was signed. (Source, Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, Accessed July 27, 2010.)

Since the Stimulus was signed, the State of Wisconsin has lost 82,000 jobs. (Source, Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, Accessed July 27, 2010)

Feingold Defends Stimulus Vote. “I don’t apologize for those votes. Those were the right votes.” (“Feingold defends voting record, Hudson Star Observer, 7/28/2010)

New Report Details Misdirected Stimulus Spending. “Stimulus money is going toward iPods for high school students in Utah, cell phones for smokers trying to quit in Washington, D.C., and advertising devoted to the promotion of … the stimulus. The findings are part of a 74-page report put out by a pair of Republican senators who contend the $862 billion program is fraught with needless spending.” (“New GOP Report Details Misdirected Stimulus Spending, Associated Press, 8/3/2010)

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Johnson Campaign Announces Press Secretary

[Oshkosh, WI] Oshkosh manufacturer and United States Senate candidate Ron Johnson today announced Sara Sendek will serve as Press Secretary for his campaign.

Sendek joins the campaign after serving as Press Secretary for U.S. Representative Pete Hoekstra’s gubernatorial campaign in Michigan and having previously worked as a Republican National Committee Regional Press Secretary and served as the White House Director of Rapid Response under President George W. Bush. She can be reached at ssendek@ronjohnsonforsenate.com.

“We are pleased to have Sara Sendek join our team.  The Ron Johnson for Senate campaign has gained tremendous momentum as we head towards Election day and we will continue to share our message of less government and improving our economy with the people of Wisconsin,” said Juston Johnson, Campaign Manager for Ron Johnson.

Johnson, 55, owns PACUR, LLC., and holds a degree in accounting.  PACUR, LLC., is an Oshkosh-based manufacturing facility that specializes in a variety of plastics manufacturing for medical, commercial and industrial purposes.

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Assistant Professor Paid To Play

[Oshkosh, WI] In 2009, Russ Feingold voted for a stimulus bill he said would create jobs and pontificated that the funds should be spent wisely. But since that time Wisconsin has lost 82,000 jobs, Feingold is defending his vote, and a new report details 100 egregious examples of unwise stimulus spending.

A Georgia Tech assistant professor will be given $762,372 of stimulus funding to simply play, as well as study improvisation music. By studying the creativity of experimental and improvised music, the project’s principal, Parag Chordia believes he can help the United States’ hurting economy and help provide an economic boost. “We are creating the intellectual capital to support future growth.”

After both saying stimulus dollars should be spent wisely and subsequently defending his vote, it looks like Russ Feingold approves of projects that are a total waste of taxpayer resources while failing to provide real solutions to Wisconsin’s economic crisis.

“It sounds like a good gig for the one person it benefits, but Senator Feingold is playing Wisconsin’s taxpayers like fools if he thinks this will benefit them,” said Juston Johnson, Campaign Manager for Ron Johnson for Senate. “Feingold is defending over $750,000 of stimulus funds being given to one person to play music. I don’t see a scenario in which this can help economic growth here in Wisconsin, or throughout the United States, for that matter.”

The Johnson Campaign will be highlighting wasteful stimulus spending projects Russ Feingold believes are getting the job done for Wisconsin families until Election Day.

Stimulus Facts:

Feingold Said “Stimulus” Must Be Spent Wisely. “Now that the economic recovery package has been signed into law, our focus must be on the challenges ahead, including getting our fiscal house in order and making sure that there is strong oversight of these taxpayer dollars. These funds must be spent wisely if they are to truly work for Wisconsin’s families.”  (Editorial, “Russ Feingold: Stimulus Package Makes Sense,” La Crosse Tribune, 2/25/2009.)

Three days prior to the signing of the stimulus, Senator Feingold issued a press release saying the stimulus would create 2.4 million jobs in the first year, and about nine million jobs in the first three years. (Senator Russ Feingold, ”Statement of U.S. Russ Feingold On The Economic Recovery Package,” Feingold Press Office, February 10, 2009.)

Feingold Provided the 60th Vote for the Stimulus Package. (H.R. 1, 2009 Roll Call #64: Adopted 60-38, 2/13/09, Feingold Voted Yea)

The

National Economy has lost over 2.2 Million jobs since the stimulus was signed. (Source, Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, Accessed July 27, 2010.)

Since the Stimulus was signed, the State of Wisconsin has lost 82,000 jobs. (Source, Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, Accessed July 27, 2010)

Feingold Defends Stimulus Vote. “I don’t apologize for those votes. Those were the right votes.” (“Feingold defends voting record, Hudson Star Observer, 7/28/2010)

New Report Details Misdirected Stimulus Spending. “Stimulus money is going toward iPods for high school students in Utah, cell phones for smokers trying to quit in Washington, D.C., and advertising devoted to the promotion of … the stimulus. The findings are part of a 74-page report put out by a pair of Republican senators who contend the $862 billion program is fraught with needless spending.” (“New GOP Report Details Misdirected Stimulus Spending, Associated Press, 8/3/2010)

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