# Jobs saved or created in congressional districts that don't exist. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 17, 2009, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-saved-or-created-in-congressional-districts-that-dont-exist/517944 "2009-11-17T19:09:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-saved-or-created-in-congressional-districts-that-dont-exist/517944/1 "2009-11-17T19:09:59Z")
> **[Exclusive: Jobs 'Saved or Created' in Congressional Districts That Don't Exist](https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/jobs-saved-created-congressional-districts-exist/story?id=9097853)** > > In Arizona's 15th Congressional District, 30 jobs have been saved or created with just $761,420 in federal stimulus spending. At least that's what the website set up by the Obama Administration to track the $787 billion stimulus says. Recovery.gov... > [@](#): > > Here’s a stimulus success story: In Arizona’s 15th congressional district, 30 jobs have been saved or created with just $761,420 in federal stimulus spending. At least that’s what the Web site set up by the Obama administration to track the $787 billion stimulus says. > > There’s one problem, though: There is no 15th congressional district in Arizona; the state has only eight districts. What is wrong here? Is someone looking at the data wrong? Is someone actively cooking the books? Is it a typo? What’s up here? ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-saved-or-created-in-congressional-districts-that-dont-exist/517944/2 "2009-11-17T19:39:14Z")
It sounds like it’s a list that’s just been compiled by the huge number of agencies that got the money and some of them put the wrong number for their districts. Do you know your congressional district number offhand? I only do because my state only has one! (Granted if zillions of dollars in federal largess were at stake, I might take the 5 minutes to look it up…) If I had to speculate, could the data in question refer to somewhere inside Arizona’s 15th State House district? ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-saved-or-created-in-congressional-districts-that-dont-exist/517944/3 "2009-11-17T19:49:11Z")
It is a huge coverup, hidden in plain sight. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-saved-or-created-in-congressional-districts-that-dont-exist/517944/4 "2009-11-17T19:52:01Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > It is a huge coverup, hidden in plain sight. shrouded in mystery… ---
**Author:** ![Kearsen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/82dd89/32.png) [@Kearsen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kearsen)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-saved-or-created-in-congressional-districts-that-dont-exist/517944/5 "2009-11-17T20:02:15Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > It is a huge coverup, hidden in plain sight. Of course. These are not the droids you are looking for. As is everything that might be construed as malfeasance. It amazes me to what lengths proponents of the current administration will go to, to derail any flaws pointed to by the other side. This, of course, goes to both sides. I just see it more here I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-saved-or-created-in-congressional-districts-that-dont-exist/517944/6 "2009-11-17T20:04:01Z")
It’s a mystery inside of an enigma inside of a fuckup. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-saved-or-created-in-congressional-districts-that-dont-exist/517944/7 "2009-11-17T20:06:54Z")
It probably happens in the other 56 states as well. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-saved-or-created-in-congressional-districts-that-dont-exist/517944/8 "2009-11-17T20:10:10Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > It’s a mystery inside of an enigma inside of a fuckup. And what is the nature of the fuckup? And why is talking about it verboten on the SDMB? ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-saved-or-created-in-congressional-districts-that-dont-exist/517944/9 "2009-11-17T20:11:36Z")
I imagine most of it is just clerical screw-ups. On the other, more cynical, hand, I wonder if at least some of it isn’t being siphoned off into someone’s well-connected pocket. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-saved-or-created-in-congressional-districts-that-dont-exist/517944/10 "2009-11-17T20:15:11Z")
Well, using data I found at the secret [http://recovery.gov](http://recovery.gov) website I found out that the recipient was Kivel Manor which recieved funds for assisited living from HUD. They are in Arizona’s 15th legislative district. Mystery solved, it is an error, not a nefarious one. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-saved-or-created-in-congressional-districts-that-dont-exist/517944/11 "2009-11-17T20:15:31Z")
It’s a deeply laid scheme to distract us from questions like “what jobs are they talking about, how do they know they were saved, do they pay more than $25K a year, and what happens to those jobs when the stimulus is no more?” On a related note, the US unemployment rate has continued to rise since Obama was elected and the deficit was quadrupled. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-saved-or-created-in-congressional-districts-that-dont-exist/517944/12 "2009-11-17T20:30:50Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > It’s a deeply laid scheme to distract us from questions like “what jobs are they talking about, how do they know they were saved, do they pay more than $25K a year, and what happens to those jobs when the stimulus is no more?” > > On a related note, the US unemployment rate has continued to rise since Obama was elected and the deficit was quadrupled. > > Regards, > Shodan An observer who actually cared about facts might note that the stimulus isn’t designed to keep people working forever. It is designed to create jobs to temporarily provide work to workers shed by businesses when the economy spiraled. When the economy is doing better the employers will re-hire people to get back up to capacity. Recession–\>Employers drop jobs to save money–\>Stimulus hires people–\>Economy does better–\>Employers hire back people to their previous capacity–\>Stimulus jobs no longer necessary. But that would only matter if an observer cared about facts, so I suspect your casual and unthinking partisan sniping isn’t really going to be diverted by that. On a related note, you don’t appear to understand that the rate of job loss had decreased. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-saved-or-created-in-congressional-districts-that-dont-exist/517944/13 "2009-11-17T20:32:20Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > Well, using data I found at the secret [http://recovery.gov](http://recovery.gov) website I found out that the recipient was Kivel Manor which recieved funds for assisited living from HUD. They are in Arizona’s 15th legislative district. > > Mystery solved, it is an error, not a nefarious one. OH MY GOD! They swapped the legislative district for the congressional district! Is there nothing this administration will not stoop to? Next they’ll be writing “their”, when they really mean “they’re”!!! (in other words, this is not a “great” debate.) ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-saved-or-created-in-congressional-districts-that-dont-exist/517944/14 "2009-11-17T20:38:00Z")
Anyone interested in this subject should go [here](http://www.recovery.gov/Transparency/StateSummaries/Pages/Landing.aspx), enter their state, scroll down a bit and click on “view all congressional districts.” You will get funky numbers. DC’s 00th congressional district got $2.4 billion, our 99th got $136 million, and the unlucky 7th district got $32 grand. But even that figure is beat by Wyoming’s 2nd district, with $40,000! This is pretty clearly an administrative/technical problem – something like those filling out electronic forms that are passed on to [recovery.gov](http://recovery.gov) aren’t doing it right. Whether the job numbers are right is something completely different. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-saved-or-created-in-congressional-districts-that-dont-exist/517944/15 "2009-11-17T20:45:56Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > An observer who actually cared about facts might note that the stimulus isn’t designed to keep people working forever. It is designed to create jobs to temporarily provide work to workers shed by businesses when the economy spiraled. > > When the economy is doing better the employers will re-hire people to get back up to capacity. > > Recession–\>Employers drop jobs to save money–\>Stimulus hires people–\>Economy does better–\>Employers hire back people to their previous capacity–\>Stimulus jobs no longer necessary. > > But that would only matter if an observer cared about facts, so I suspect your casual and unthinking partisan sniping isn’t really going to be diverted by that. > On a related note, you don’t appear to understand that the rate of job loss had decreased. I guess you’re not always a tard. I’ll call the Yellow Emperor and put in a reprieve…for now. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-saved-or-created-in-congressional-districts-that-dont-exist/517944/16 "2009-11-17T20:46:45Z")
Reminds me of a report FEMA released a few years back showing that more than a third of it’s annual emergency relief expenditure was spent on sporks. Um, they were wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-saved-or-created-in-congressional-districts-that-dont-exist/517944/17 "2009-11-17T20:48:07Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > I guess you’re not always a tard. I’ll call the Yellow Emperor and put in a reprieve…for now. Aw shucks. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-saved-or-created-in-congressional-districts-that-dont-exist/517944/18 "2009-11-17T21:05:50Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > And what is the nature of the fuckup? Well, somebody can’t count. > [@](#): > > And why is talking about it verboten on the SDMB? Are you under the bizarre notion that I’m suggesting the topic is verboten, or that I have any influence at all over what topics are verboten, or that I want this or any topic to be verboten? I might care it it _was_ verboten, since that leads to other things getting verbotenized as well. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-saved-or-created-in-congressional-districts-that-dont-exist/517944/19 "2009-11-17T21:25:36Z")
No, not you. Just the fact that people went straight for right wing cawnspeeracey rather than answering the fookin’ question. 😉 But yeah, mislabeling is kind of what I thought, but I figured it was worth a gander. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-saved-or-created-in-congressional-districts-that-dont-exist/517944/20 "2009-11-17T21:31:50Z")
What I find interesting is that all the information is avaialable at [Recovery.gov](http://Recovery.gov) which means that the transparency thing is actually working. Quality control needs to be improved, clearly, but at least we can find the info if we want to. At least that is what I get out of it. The amount of stimulus information available at that website is actually quite impressive. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-saved-or-created-in-congressional-districts-that-dont-exist/517944.md?page=2)