Stimulus contract is news to recipient
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Evergreen Freedom Foundation
They keep getting it wrong at Recovery.gov, the federal government Web site that tracks stimulus efforts. First it was phantom Congressional districts, then phantom Zip Codes, now it’s phantom stimulus contracts.
And they’re too easy to find since it only took one phone call to dig one up.
According to Recovery.gov, two contracts totaling $210,381 resulting in the creation of zero jobs were awarded in the Kirkland, Wash. Zip Code of 98034. Per the site, both were awarded to Lancs Industries, a manufacturer of protective clothing, containment devices and other safety products.
This came as news to Tim Wiest, Lancs’ president, however.
Wiest said that his company sells to firms doing work at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. They have used stimulus funds obtained through Department of Energy contracts to buy his company’s products. But Lancs itself does not have any contractual relationship with the U.S. government, he said.
“I am uncomfortable with the appearance that stimulus funds are coming to us directly,” he said. Yet the clear implication from the Web site is that is what’s happening.
Wiest wanted it understood that the implication is false. Lancs Industries has “no contract with any federal agency through which we receive federal stimulus funds,” he said.
When he was asked if it was possible that the $210,000 and change could have been reported as having been received by one or more of his customers he said the opportunity for double counting of the dollars is there.
“The only thing that’s clear is that it’s unclear,” Wiest said.
Posted under Featured, Federal Government, News.
Tags: phantom congressional district, Recovery.gov, stimulus contracts, ZIP Codes
