Jonathan Alter writes concerning the Recovery Act, “The biggest frustration involved infrastructure. Obama said later that he learned that ‘one of the biggest lies in government is the idea of “shovel-ready” project.’ It turned out that only about $20 billion to $40 billion in construction contracts wear truly ready to go. The rest were tied up in the endless contracting delays and bureaucratic hassles associated with building anything in America.”
WATCHDOG: Not only did the Lancaster Public Library (Duke Street) have “shovel ready” plans for renovation and construction, but there were ample funds in a state grant, pledges, promises and even money on hand to at least renovate the building. The Board was advised that if they approved the renovation phase, the funds for expansion would likely be forthcoming from the federal government within half a year as part of a forth coming recovery legislation.
Given the agendas of a couple of members and the inexperience and fear of the others, it was like talking to a wall. This was another example of a decade of wrong-headed decisions, not only in Washington, but also in Lancaster.
