Federal contractors receiving money for projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)—the $862 billion economic stimulus law President Barack Obama signed in February 2009—have been encouraged and, in some cases, required by the administration to post signs that say their work is funded by that specific act.
Some congressional Republicans are calling the signs propaganda for the administration and questioning their cost.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development recommended one model sign that included these words: “Funded By: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act/ Barack Obama, President.”
The law itself does not require the signs. The program sprung from a March 2009 directive issued by the Office of Management and Budget in the Obama White House.
“Projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) will bear a newly-designed emblem,” said the OMB directive. “The emblem is a symbol of President Obama’s commitment to the American People to invest their tax dollars wisely to put Americans back to work.”
“All projects which are funded by the ARRA should display signage that features the Primary Emblem throughout the construction phase,” said the directive. “The signage should be displayed in a prominent location on site.
Obama administration officials have said the signs are designed to increase government transparency by showing people how recovery dollars are being spent.
“The idea that my constituents think anybody but them is paying for these public works projects is an insult to their intelligence,” Rep. Aaron Schock (R-Ill.), told CNSNews.com.
Further, Republicans say that unlike other government signage that can be reused, these signs have a very short half-life since ARRA expires in 2011.
“It’s blatant propaganda on the part of the Obama administration to take credit for the spending of public dollars,” said Schock, who has investigated the matter as a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
New York opted not to post signs after estimating a large ARRA sign would cost between $6,000 and $8,300, while Georgia announced it would stop posting the signs because the average sign was costing $1,200, according to a report by the Republican staff of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
Ohio has spent $1 million on ARRA signs and Illinois has spent $640,000, Schock said. ABC News reported in July that a stimulus funded project at Washington, D.C.’s Dulles Airport has a 10-foot-by-11-foot ARRA sign that cost $10,000. ABC also reported that Pennsylvania spent $157,000 on ARRA signs.
