Wednesday, November 18, 2009

More Information on Recovery.gov Recovery Board Chairman Can’t Certify Any Jobs Data

Adding to the brewing controversy over the Obama Administration’s inability to accurately report the jobs “saved or created” by the stimulus on its $18 million dollar Recovery.gov website is this report from ABC News: “Recovery Board Chairman: We Can’t Certify Jobs Data at Recovery.gov.”


According to the ABC report, Earl Devaney, the chairman of the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, stated the following in response to a congressional inquiry on the reliability of stimulus related jobs data:”


“Your letter specifically asks if I am able to certify that the number of jobs reported as created/saved on Recovery.gov is accurate and auditable. No, I am not able to make this certification.” ABC posted Devaney’s letter on its site.


As noted in a press release sent out earlier this morning, the Recovery.gov site reports that $149,694,747 in stimulus money has been spent in the 9th district to ‘create or save’ 239 jobs at a cost of $626,337 per job.


In addition, Recovery.gov also reports 21.5 jobs were ‘saved or created’ in Pennsylvania’s 23rd congressional district for $1,487,259. Seven jobs were saved for $6,729,345 in district 00 and zero jobs – that’s right – zero jobs saved in the 96th district for $1,960,179. All of these are districts that do not exist.


The inability of the Administration to certify its jobs figures, as well as the chairman of the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board’s lack of confidence in his own website should lead everyone to question whether the 239 jobs reportedly “saved or created” by the stimulus in Pennsylvania’s 9th district actually exist at all.


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