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Fed funds have lots of strings attached

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Tab L.. Uno | 1:01 a.m. June 1, 2009
As a former administrator of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, I find it interesting that city officials are complaining about all the strings attached and the burden of regulatory compliance. The CDBG Program is probably one of the least cumbersome of all federal grant programs and had the least amount of federal paperwork to complete. What CDBG required were common sense rules to protect the environment, ensure that projects were bid out and that project costs weren't excessive, that projects were accessible to the disabled, that citizens had an opportunity to comment on the projects, that construction workers were paid a decent wage, that those neigbhorshood in greatest need received most of the services. Usually when City officials wanted something that violated these broad guidelines seem to result in complaints about all the federal redtape. Yet it usually meant that the most deserving residents were the one's left out from federal assistance.
Anonymous | 1:42 a.m. June 1, 2009
There's no such thing as a free lunch.
Those strings | 2:26 a.m. June 1, 2009
Those string are called control wires and guess who the puppet are? Welcome to change!
Comments continue below
Control | 6:23 a.m. June 1, 2009
And people wonder and complain about how the federal government is taking control of the states. These strings with any funds is how states lose control of their independent constitutions. These strings have violated state and federal constitutional rights and freedoms of individuals as well. These strings have forced many states to violate federal labor laws and immigration laws. Any funds returned or refused gives states and people the powers they were supposed to have and keeps federal government out of control. Greed is used to control individuals and states, and it works very well.
Ya right | 6:30 a.m. June 1, 2009
give it to the government. They know how to create jobs and wealth. It's a giant sucking machine of inefficiency and waste. People retiring with dreams about their pensions the day they go to work.

Give it to the private sector where jobs and wealth are really created, then stay out of our way, better yet don't give it and lower our taxes. Most companies did fine till govt started sticking their head in.
DR Don | 7:25 a.m. June 1, 2009
"Fed funds have lots of strings attached"
In other breaking news, "Sun rises in east!"
re: Control | 8:22 a.m. June 1, 2009
Sorry, but GREED is what ran the economy into the ground during W's last year in office. GREED by mortgage companies to give lending to buyers they knew could not afford the home they were purchasing. Get what you could out of the buyer, take back the house, and sell it to someone else. The commission on the original sell doesn't get taken back when a buyer forecloses.

Having no control, and letting the GREED in America topple the middle class is what created this mess in the first place.
re: Ya right | 8:26 a.m. June 1, 2009
You must work for one of the mortgage companies who was making money hand over fist approving buyers for homes they could never realistically afford. Getting their commission and watching as buyer after buyer lost their homes.

Hep, that's the private sector working. Working for themselves at the expense of others. True American Capitalism.

"Most companies did fine???" Yeah, unless they were a publically traded company and watched their worth plummet. Then were forced to layoff, close offices, etc.

Your situation might have been "fine," unfortunately the situation for millions was not "fine."
huge waste | 10:16 a.m. June 1, 2009
Think about how much money is lost during this process. The federal government taxes people in local communities. It spends a lot of money to process all the paperwork to get the taxes collected. Then it spends a lot of money to draft regulations, etc. for the "recovery" program. Then local governments spend a lot of money drafting proposals and complying with regulations and requirements to get the money.

Just think if the feds stayed out of everything and local governments taxed their people to improve roads. They would have a lot more money to work with and local governments are much more accountable to the people. This "recovery" plan is more like a "prolong-the-recession" plan.
John | 10:21 a.m. June 1, 2009
Only fools would accept "FREE MONEY" with all the strings attached that comes with this huge boondoggle.

But, we are dealing with politicians, so we should not be surprised.

Our grandchildren will still be paying for this wasteful spending decades from now, plus the huge interest payments which will accrue as hyperinflation kicks in. But we got a nice westside park to show for it? Shortsighted in the extreme, but what do you expect from "hope and change."

The worst part about this whole sorry scheme is that the feds keep changing the rules as they go along, so no one (NO ONE!!!) knows what we will eventually be required to do after receiving this money.

Utah should just refuse to take the bait!
Yes | 10:27 a.m. June 1, 2009
the author is very correct. The picture that comes to my mind when reading this story is the "marionette strings" from the little plays they used to do in the parks, and we taxpayers are hopping up and down at the "opportunity" of getting some of our tax money returned to us in the form of "grants".

We need to elect people to the nat'l political arena that don't necessarily like "manipulating" the taxpaying public!
Pandering to the zealots | 12:38 p.m. June 1, 2009
A headline like this just panders to the crazies... and we have so many more than our fair share here in Utah. Of COURSE Fed $ come with rules and regulations. Would any sane person truly prefer otherwise?

The only other alternative is to just hand out cash like Bush's admin. did in the bank bailout. We're finally beginning to realize what a mistake THAT was!
Holly | 1:02 p.m. June 1, 2009
Well, duh....
re:re:Control | 1:59 p.m. June 1, 2009
GREED made this mess happen? YES, it was the greed of the slimy politicians that forced banks into making those risky loans (ie. Barney Frank). Banks would not have been so stupid if the government would have left them alone.

Free capitalism is the ONLY answer to get out of this mess, NOT MORE GOVERNMENT!
StringsForPoor | 6:30 p.m. June 1, 2009
Capitalism fails when the ethics are violated. The current condition is a result of the previous administration.

Greed did make this problem. One should look at seeing choices made according to good ethics, reform to the healthcare system etc.. before they see change.

Strings should be attached and I am glad they are now centered around the poor instead of the rich.

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