A Sure Sign of Waste

You’ve probably seen them on the road – signs informing you that the construction is funded by the so-called “stimulus.”  What you may not know, is that these signs cost about $1,746 each (Great Falls Tribune, 9/24/09).

When it comes to the so-called “stimulus,” we were promised transparency, so it’s particularly interesting that unlike the signs the Montana Department of Transportation normally puts up, these signs contain no dollar amount, and list the specific legislation and a color logo.

Last week, the Senate failed to pass legislation to prevent the further waste of tax-dollars on self-congratulatory signs.

This week, Congressman Rehberg sent a letter to Vice President Biden, who was tasked with weeding out waste in the stimulus and the Secretary of Transportation asking them to put an end to this practice.

Rehberg’s work to identify waste includes the creation of Stimulus Watch Montana, a website that allows Montanans to report (anonymously if desired) wasteful spending.

In Denny's Words

“When the stimulus passed, I promised to do what I could to make it work, and that means identifying and eliminating waste.  Montanans get it - these signs don't serve any economic-stimulus function, and the only jobs they protect are in Congress.  We need to get that message through to the bureaucrats Washington, D.C."

To watch Denny talk about ending this waste on the U.S. House Floor via YouTube, CLICK HERE.