Stimulus signage has GOP outraged

[sabra]

Source: Chicago Trib

Critics say they amount to taxpayer-funded political advertising. Others respond that signs, too, are jobs

WASHINGTON — First-term Republican Congressman Aaron Schock of Illinois is peeved over the green highway signs that have sprouted across the U.S. touting stimulus dollars at work.

"Propaganda. An unnecessary overhead expense," argued Schock, who, like every House Republican, opposed last year's $787 billion stimulus.

Lately some Republicans have been taking aim at signage for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This month, Schock introduced a bill, the "End the Stimulus Advertisement Act," to prohibit them.

In Illinois, about 950 signs have been posted at highway, road, transit and other projects, said Josh Kauffman, a spokesman for the Illinois Department of Transportation.

The signs cost about $300 each, and it costs another $200 to install them, he said. The bottom line? About $665,000, a calculation Kauffman said is based on buying a sign and installing it in two locations.

...

Where do Republicans think the signs come from, asked Eddie Vale, political communications director for the AFL-CIO. "There isn't a magical road sign unicorn that brings them. They're manufactured, that is, building and placing the signs also create jobs."

At Western Remac Inc. in west suburban Woodridge, president Mike Conoscenti said it had made and sold about 100 Recovery Act signs — and he appreciates the work. "In this day and age, everything is extremely competitive in pricing. Work is down for us across the board, our margins are extremely tight, and we're happy for anything that we can get."

Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-stimulus-sign-controversy0716-20100715,0,5674059.story

[CurtEastPoint]

1. Young Aaron not outraged over THIS stimulus.

Asshole.

[HardWorkingDem]

9. Well.....

He actually probably thought it was a teabag brushing against his hair and then did become offended when he found what actual pair was touching his head.

[David__77]

26. Looks like a little log in his cabin...

NOT saying he's gay... But his smarmy-ness reminds me of those terrible Log Cabin Republicans. I also meant to imply that it doesn't look like he's packing too much heat.

[HardWorkingDem]

37. Then the woman in the picture....

must have some log in her cabin, too.....

[roguevalley]

31. I qualified for weatherization of my house thanks to the stimulus

program money here. I would not be able to do it without this. These weiners can bite me.

[Bitwit1234]

2. Gee did anybody calculate the cost of the

wanta be cowboy/flyboys mini-flight on to the air craft carrier, the cost of his suit and rolled up sock, and most of all they untrue sign MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. And all the publicity surrounding it. I think not.

[CatWoman]

22. Doh!!!

I asked the same question below :)

:hi:

[ohtransplant]

3. Why do they hate sign makers??

n/t

[Enrique]

4. Rachel Maddow stuns Aaron Schock over stimulus hypocrisy

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/14/rachel-maddow-stuns-rep-a_n_461885.html

(...)

A heated exchange took place during NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday when MSNBC host Rachel Maddow accused Rep. Aaron Schock (R-Ill.) of hypocrisy for railing against a spending bill in public while touting its benefits in his home district.

Appearing alongside each other during a panel session, Maddow pivoted from a discussion on job creation to note that Schock had appeared at an event on Friday touting a grant program that he had voted against.

"You, in your district, I just read that you were at a community college touting a $350,000 green technology education program, talking about how great that was going to be for your district," she said. "You voted against the bill that created that grant. That's happening a lot with Republicans sort of taking credit for things that Democratic bills do and then Republicans simultaneously touting their votes against them and trashing them. That, I think, is a problem that needs to be resolved within your caucus. Because you seem like a very nice person but that is a very hypocritical stance to take."

A somewhat taken-aback Schock insisted that Republicans were "not consulted on the stimulus bill" and shouldn't be blamed for the lack of a bipartisan vote for its passage. This didn't really get to Maddow's point. So after some back-and-forth among the other panelists, Schock jumped back in.

(...)

[Canuckistanian]

16. +1

Good find!

[alfredo]

40. I guess the debate on the floor doesn't count as consultation.

[Hamlette]

5. well Aaron, if you'd stop lying about the impact of the stimulus bill, we'd not have to use signs

to try and set the record straight.

ass

[Morning Dew]

6. in Minnesota, I've noticed a good share of signage

indicating that a project was funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Not only on roads but on low income housing buildings.


Traveling through Nebraska in May, I didn't see a single sign along the highway construction areas....
anecdotal,yes, and perhaps the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act didn't fund those particular projects.

Still, I noticed it at the time.

[sabra]

10. from the article:

"About half the states choose to use the signs and the others don't, said Jill Zuckman, a spokeswoman for U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, a Republican whose old congressional seat Schock holds. "While we have encouraged states to let the public know where their tax dollars are going, the decision to post signs has been left to the states," Zuckman said."

[Oregone]

7. Someone has to make those signs

Thats production. Its called stimulus


With that said, I understand the sentiment. No one wants federal dollars spent to promote a partisan policy, and in my opinion, the US recovery signs to have Obamaesque graphics on them (the recovery symbol). More than the cost, this guy may be irked about this boosting Obama's ratings...its possible. Up here in Canada, the federal and provincial stimulus signs seem a bit more neutral.

[HardWorkingDem]

8. Did he object to....

even though this is a drop in the bucket, if everyone recalls, stamped on the IRS check from one of Bush's stimulus checks was a phrase along the lines of "Tax Relief from Texas" or "Tax Relief from Austin, Texas."

[Roland99]

11. I've seen signs near road construction for years...decades even....

touting "this road improvement paid for with $3,101,487 of your tax dollars" or somesuch inanity back when I lived in KY.

[edgrosvenor]

12. Putting up those signs was an idiotic move!!!!

What nobody has thought about is the fact that on several Chicago area roads, it is likely that at 6:00 on a Friday night, you'll find yourself putting your car in park and sitting for an hour without moving an inch. The whole time, you're likely to be staring at one of these signs. And by the time you're running out of gas and totally out of patience, you know exactly who to blame for your inability to get home and see your family. Anyone who voted for the stimulus package. It's their fault that I'm stuck behind this stinky old pickup truck in a car with no a/c on a 100 degree Friday afternoon.

It's why I never understood Blago's insistence on putting his name all over the open road tolling thing. To me, those signs always read, "Hi. My name is Rod Blagojevich and I just managed to grab a buck from your wallet while you were driving 65 miles an hour under this big electronic pick-pocket I had my people invent just to make your life a little easier."

I get that roads have to be fixed. I get that it takes money to do it. But for God's sake people, if you want to get re-elected, don't remind people who's taking that money or who's tearing up that road! Let them continue to believe it's some nameless, faceless system so they can just blame "the man."

[Morning Dew]

15. At the very least

you'll know who is responsible for not having enough gas in the car.

:rofl:

[AlbertCat]

29. I'm stuck behind this stinky old pickup truck in a car with no a/c

Yep... it's all about you! (just ask the GOP)


If you're gonna be a drama queen about this, ask yourself why you have a crappy car without AC?

Isn't sitting in traffic just part of living in a big city? Where's the public transpo anyway?

[Metta]

13. Sour grapes. TFB.

Everything we do is bullshit and everything they do is holy? I don't think so.

[old mark]

14. Ther are several of these signs near our home - each time we pass one, I think

that here is tax money being well-spent, people are working and the roadways and bridges are being repaired.

The GOP didn't vote for any of it, and I hope people remember that in November.

I certainly will.

Rec.

mark

[TBF]

17. Trillions of dollars wasted on war and they are concerned about a few signs? Typical. nt

[madmom]

18. I wondered how long it would take for this to happen. I live in a VERY

repug area, we have these signs everywhere. We are getting a great deal of things done and fixed (all very much needed). Just last week there was a LTTE in our local rag about the "inconvenience" of resurfacing two main roads at the same time, because they had to leave home a little earlier and drive about 2 extra miles for 3 WHOLE DAYS! Oh the horror, how dare they inconvenience me! Man I hate republicants.

[mzmolly]

19. " "Propaganda. An unnecessary overhead expense," Just for that I think we should

add Obama's pic with the slogan "delivering hope" to the signs. ;)

[AzNick]

20. LOL I clicked expecting to see propaganda...

Instead I see some 'your tax dollars at work' type of sign.

Idiot.

[David__77]

27. To be fair, those things are a bit annoying...

And people on this board certainly didn't like it when letters announcing the past $300 IRS checks were mailed out... I do see a value in them, although we must confess that they are somewhat counterintuitive, since the sign ITSELF is our "tax dollars at work" as well.

[CatWoman]

21. Question: how much did it cost the taxpayer for Bush's

"Mission Accomplished" stunt?

anyone know?

[4lbs]

23. Probably in the millions. They commandeered a whole aircraft carrier, Harrier jump jet, and

thousands of crewmen for that stunt.

[KurtNYC]

24. the GOP should stop doing all those tourism ads that run in-state

and have the governor hosting them. The Pataki ones used to run all the time -- in state supposedly promoting tourism to the state. Schwartzanazi has some too.

[unblock]

25. i'm sure these same republicans complained about g.dubya's $300 "rebates are coming" letters

and i'm also sure they graciously turn down the franking privileges emabling them to send letters free to everyone in their district/state.

so principled, these republicans.

:sarcasm:

[yellowcanine]

28. Oh crap. Putting up signs at public works projects, local, state, federal is standard procedure.

And has been for years. Get a life, Republicans.

[BumRushDaShow]

30. Eliminate all "Chamber of Commerce" signage and save our economy. n/t

[DiverDave]

32. Lots of those signs in NJ

And they just voted in a repuke for governor.
I see those guys working and think "how many voted for him?" and you just KNOW they are yelling at anything that says OBAMA.


The disconnect is amazing.

Duh, I am thankful for spell check ;)

[LawnKorn]

33. I like it when Republicans are outraged

I wish Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi would have kicked the Republicans into the ditch two years ago when we had the chance. Republicans are in the minority and it is irrelevant if they are outraged or not. If they don't work with us to fix this country, they deserve to have the boot heel applied to their throats until the expire or start cooperating.

[Odin2005]

34. God forbid we show government spending in a positive light!

:eyes:

[mbperrin]

35. What a wonderful world when this is the biggest outrage.

Whatever drugs these fuckers are on, I hope they're not driving on them. You do need some actual judgment to operate an auto.

















Oh, yeah, I nearly forgot: FUCK YOU REPUBLICAN BASTARDS!

[underpants]

36. We have made drives through WV, Ohio, NC, and SC this summer

the paving on route 35 in WV and Ohio have the signs and they are impossible to miss. Yes the traffic slows that kills time but I laughed to myself about how people actually SEE what the stimulus is doing.... for them.

I think I saw one sign on I95 in NC (on the way to Myrtle Beach) but I am sure I saw one in SC.

I personally rejoiced in knowing that people got it put in their face and that d'bags like this guy (who tried to stop such signage earlier) were having it thrown back in their face.

[CatWoman]

38. see Boortz' column in today's AJC?

Neal Boortz: Enjoy paying bill for president’s PR

This week we learned that the Imperial Federal Government has squandered around $20 million dollars on signs. That $20 million? Well, that was stimulus money. The signs? They simply said, “Hey, y’all! We’re spending stimulus money here! Ain’t that cool?”

OK, so the wording may not be exact. The signs actually say something about “The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act” and contain that wonderful phrase “Putting America Back to Work.” Yeah, putting America back to work painting signs that say we’re putting America back to work. That probably works for the average Democrat voter. But not for me.

The National Tax Foundation has released a report setting the average annual tax burden per household to be about $17,000. That’s no small amount of change, and considering that about one-half of households pay nothing, you can imagine how high the burden is for some. Let’s pick on one particular sign — one erected by the Washington Airports Authority. ABC News reports that this authority spent $10,000 on one sign near Dulles International Airport telling anyone who cared to read it that a runway improvement project was being funded by stimulus funds.

Why the signs? The ABC investigation shows a political motivation: The Obama administration issued “General Guidelines for Emblem and Logo Applications” for signs touting stimulus projects. According to the leaked document the signs and logos — similar to the Obama 2008 campaign logo — were designed to be “a symbol of President Obama’s commitment to the American people to invest their tax dollars wisely and put Americans back to work.” Yeah, right. That’s $20 million for Obama PR.

http://www.ajc.com/opinion/neal-boortz-enjoy-paying-572320.html

[Nye Bevan]

39. Well, those signs are a stupid waste of money.

Another pet hate of mine is that every time NY or CT gets a new governor, all of the hundreds of "Welcome to NY/CT" highway signs are replaced because they have the old governor's signature. Why not just have "The Governor" at the bottom of each sign, without the actual name?