Republicans Give the Game Away on Stimulus.

Typically, whenever you see a project funded by the stimulus, there is a sign near by pointing out that it was funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. It lets the public know what they're getting for their money. It turns out the signs are pretty expensive -- weird, right? can't they just get cheaper signs? -- and that some states are forgoing that expenditure to put their stimulus money toward something more tangible. Which is fine, except now Republicans are making political hay out of the issue.

“We think the signs promote transparency and accountability — so taxpayers can know where their money is being spent and on what,” said Jill Zuckman, the Department of Transportation’s director for public affairs. “But the important thing is that the projects be sound, well run and job creating.”

The sign question has taken on partisan overtones. Some Republicans say the signs are essentially publicly financed advertisements for one of the Obama administration’s signature programs.

“These signs are simply for political self-interest, and it’s high time we stop using stimulus dollars to fund them, and instead use these dollars for their intended purpose of creating economic activity,” Senator Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, a Republican who voted against the stimulus package, said in a statement last month. He tried — and failed — to prohibit the use of the signs.

Gregg's argument about political self-interest is revealing: It wouldn't be in the Democrats' interest to have the signs up unless the projects supported by the stimulus are popular, but Republicans aren't supposed to admit that stimulus projects are something the public might like. In fact, I buy Zuckman's argument: this is about accountability. People should know what stimulus dollars are doing, and judge the project on that basis. If they see the projects as a waste, they should know that, too. The GOP would rather hide what's happening on the ground so they can continue to rail against something that most people think is popular (similar to their new found love of Medicare and hatred of government health-care programs).

But, jeez, let's just get some cheaper signs.

-- Tim Fernholz