Published: November 18, 2009
Phantom Districts Found in All 50 States
Watchdog.org Releases District by (Phantom) District Stimulus Guide
Watchdog.org has prepared the nation's first
state-by-state investigation into the phantom districts that have received more than
$6.4 billion in stimulus funds.
Jim Scarantino of New Mexico Watchdog first alerted the nation of the troubling findings on Recovery.org. His investigation into stimulus payments courtesy of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 found that millions of dollars were poured into congressional districts that did not exist.
Similar reports began pouring out of every state. Watchdog.org reporter Bill McMorris has gathered all the information discovered by journalists across the nation and conducted his own investigation into the information found on Recovery.org. His research will take the reader through phantom districts in all 50 states, four territories and Washington D.C.
Findings of Interest:
A non-existent district in Tennessee received nearly $41 million in stimulus funds and used that money to produce 0 jobs. District 00 received all but $13 million that was sent to the seven phantom districts in the state, but produced fewer jobs than the non-existent 11th district, which created or saved 3 jobs using $39,000.
More than $2 million was given to the 99th District of North Dakota, a state which has only one congressional district. In order to qualify for 99 districts, North Dakota would have to have a population of about 60 million people, almost 24 million more people than California.
"Your Guide to the Stimulus, District by (Phantom) District" provides a state by state overview of federal stimulus funds sent to phantom congressional districts and the number of jobs "created or saved" as a result of the spending. This latest story, found on Watchdog.org, provides links to articles and state analysis reported by a network of watchdog journalists.
Click here to read "Your Guide to the Stimulus, District by (Phantom) District" by Bill McMorris and go to Watchdog.org to get the latest news and updates about your state and local government.
Contact:
Jason Stverak
President Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity
(701) 214-5612
jason.stverak@franklincenterhq.org
Watchdog.org is a collection of independent journalists covering state-specific and local government activity. The program began in September 2009, the brainchild of the Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to promoting new media journalism.
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