Dorgan Votes To Continue Funding Stimulus PR Effort With Taxpayer Dollars

Thursday, 17 September 2009 12:09

In the News

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan’s (D-ND) assault on the taxpayer pocketbook continued yesterday when he voted to continue spending millions of dollars in taxpayer money on self-promotional highway signs touting "stimulus" projects.

Dorgan joined 50 of his Democrat colleagues in voting against an amendment from U.S. Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) that would "prohibit the use of stimulus funds for self-congratulatory signage that allows lawmakers to promote their spending of taxpayer dollars on stimulus projects."

Dorgan’s vote came just one day after he accused Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials of treating taxpayer dollars like a "bottomless pit," before adding that the country is "deep in debt, we really do need to be smart about how we spend money."

According to ABC News, the money spent on a $2,000 road sign could be used to fill 40 potholes. Furthermore, yesterday’s vote comes just months after it was announced by the Obama White House that a whopping $18 million would be spent on redesigning the stimulus’ official web site.

"After nearly 30 years in Washington, Byron Dorgan has clearly mastered the art of self-flattery, but that doesn’t explain why he believes the federal government should be wasting hard-earned taxpayer money on self-congratulatory road signs," National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Colin Reed said today. "More than seven months ago, Democrats ignored GOP concerns and rushed a bloated stimulus package through Congress without even reading the bill. Now, these costly highway signs are nothing more than a public relations campaign to boost the image of a stimulus boondoggle widely viewed as a failure by the American people."

"If this is the best Byron Dorgan has to offer after 30 years in Washington, it’s time for a change," Reed concluded.

In response to Wednesday’s vote, the NRSC launched a contest that allows concerned citizens to enter their suggestions for what these wasteful road signs should say. Next week, people will vote on their favorite sign and a winner will be announced. To submit road sign suggestions, citizens are encouraged to visit this website HERE.