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Even more lies, damned lies and stimulus jobs
By: Mark Hemingway
Commentary Staff Writer
11/06/09 3:56 PM EST
Earlier this week, we discussed the White House's was claiming the "stimulus saves nine out of every five jobs." Then we noted how the White house was counting stimulus-funded payraises for government workers as jobs saved, because "If I give you a raise, it is going to save a portion of your job," according to a Department of Health and Human Services spokesman. Then we noted the reports of stimulus jobs being overcounted in Illinois and Wisconsin. Now the Sacramento Bee has taken a look at California's stimulus jobs numbers, and guess what?:
Up to one-fourth of the 110,000 jobs reported as saved by federal stimulus money in California probably never were in danger, a Bee review has found.
California State University officials reported late last week that they saved more jobs with stimulus money than the number of jobs saved in Texas – and in 44 other states.
In a required state report to the federal government, the university system said the $268.5 million it received in stimulus funding through October allowed it to retain 26,156 employees.
That total represents more than half of CSU’s statewide work force. However, university officials confirmed Thursday that half their workers were not going to be laid off without the stimulus dollars.
So we've now seen reports of goosing stimulus job stats in Georgia, Illinois, Wisconsin, California, New Hampshire, Florida, Ohio, New Jersey, Virginia and Texas. (Ed Morrissey at Hot Air has more thoughts on the California story, as well as a round-up of some of the other state reports on stimulus chicanery.) At first the White House was owning up to "persisting errors" in the stimulus jobs data -- but when all the supposed errors seem to create the illusion of more jobs and are widespread from coast to coast, it sure looks like a deliberate ruse to hide the stimulus' clear failings. The White House needs to explain how this is happening before it turns into a full-fledged scandal.
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