What’s a Stimulus Without a Little Polka?
[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.
Thanks to Senator Feingold’s vote for the stimulus bill, the 2009 International Accordion Festival received a $25,000 grant to help fund their event. Festival goers were treated to a special experience of the “hippest and most happening accordion music from around the world,” courtesy of the American taxpayer.
During a time of economic crisis in Wisconsin, workers and families need real solutions to put our economy back on track. This grant to fund a polka festival does nothing to lower the high unemployment rate or improve the economy in the United States.
“Senator Feingold’s vote to spend hard-earned taxpayer money on wasteful projects such as music festivals shows just how out of touch he is with the people of Wisconsin,” said Juston Johnson, Campaign Manager for Ron Johnson for Senate. “During these difficult economic times, families in Wisconsin are struggling to put food on the table but Feingold is more than willing to spend their tax dollars on reckless spending projects. The people of Wisconsin deserve a leader like Ron Johnson who understands the concerns and hardships that they face each and every day and will vote in their best 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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