March 18, 2009

Homeless Red Ink

I have a prediction.

Even though President Obama insists that all of the trillions in so-called "stimulus" spending will be expertly managed and masterfully allocated -- of course, to only the most deserving and stimulating beneficiaries -- lots of the hastily cobbled new spending will end up being wasted.

I'm afraid I cheated with this prediction. I already have an example in hand. The town of Union, New York, is slated to receive almost $600,000 from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Why? To combat homelessness.

Problem? There isn't one -- that is, there isn't a homeless problem in Union. Which is why the town does not have any programs for dealing with the homeless and it has no means of administering the money that's been flung at it. Nor did the town request the funds. Town supervisor John Bernardo says, "We were surprised. We've never been a recipient before."

A less honest man would have trucked in some homeless guys and warbled, "Thank goodness we're finally getting these funds." But what Union lacks, Washington provides: A HUD spokesman says the new grant recipients should employ "creative strategies" in figuring out how to spend the money.

So that more than half-million dollars will find a home somewhere -- anywhere but the wallets it came from.

You see why I shake my head and say, "I could have predicted this." This isn't change. It's more -- way more -- of the same.