Stimulus or shamulus?

Published October 29, 2009 4:00am ET



Senate Republicans have compiled a list of their “favorite” stimulus projects — that is, some of the most wacky federally-funded boondoggles they could come up with. Click here for the full list. We’ve covered several of these in our Daily Outrage feature, but check out these beauties:

1.) $300,000 for mapping radioactive rabbit feces.

If you had $300K to spend, why wouldn’t you want to invest in such a noble pursuit?

2.) $4,200-$5,500 tax credit for purchasing golf carts.

The only thing worse would be if these things were part of a green initiative for cleaner highways.

3.) $219,000 to study the sex lives of female college freshmen.

I am aware that there are droves of researchers willing to do this to free. I think they’re called “guys.”

4.) $1 million to renovate the “Sunset Strip.”

You can’t take your Ferrari to the clubs if you don’t have taxpayer-funded roads to get there, obviously.

5.) $2.3 million for bug research in Connecticut.

As a Connecticut native, I can say there’s no better place to research WASPs.

6.) $6 million for a snowmaking facility. In the 15th snowiest city in the country.

Place your bets on whether it makes it to 10th snowiest by the end of the year.

7.) $500,000 to study “social networks like Facebook.”

Boss: “What are you working on there, Joe?”

Employee: “Oh, I was just utilizing my federal grant to look at beach pictures of this girl I know.”

Boss: “Carry on.”

8.) $380,000 to spay and neuter pets in Wichita, Kansas.

The saddest pet town in America.

9.) $3.4 million for a turtle tunnel in Florida.

Leave it to the federal government to find an even slower presence on the highway than a Florida driver.

10.) $30 million for a spring training baseball complex for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies.

The top three players of the Rockies make more than that in a year, and taxpayers have to foot the bill.

This is change, America.