How politicians use tax dollars for self-promotion
Among the many dubious things done by Rod Blagojevich in office was putting up tollway signs with the message "Open Road Tolling—Rod R. Blagojevich, Governor." They were campaign ads that his campaign got for free. And one of the first and best things Pat Quinn did upon succeeding Blagojevich was to get rid of them.
But that decision didn't put a stop to state officials using government funds for self-promotion. Lately, on highways being repaired with federal stimulus funds, you can see signs that say, "Putting America to Work. Project Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act." There are nearly 1,000 of them in Illinois.
Republicans in Congress, notably Rep. Aaron Schock of Illinois, think there are better uses of the $787 billion than tributes to politicians who have done nothing more than appropriate money furnished by their long-suffering constituents.
He estimates the cost of such signs around the country at $20 million, though the Illinois Department of Transportation says it has spent about $665,000. The Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board says it has no idea what the actual cost is.
But uncertainty about the total expense does not make outlays that are inherently indefensible any more worthy.
The rationale behind the stimulus spending is that it will pump up the economy by putting money into paychecks, which will then be spent on other goods and services, creating more jobs. There is plenty of doubt whether the alleged effect is offset by the harm done by soaring deficits. But even if you accept the theory, this is hardly a sensible item.
The best use of the money is for things that would be worth doing regardless—such as repairing and upgrading roads. That way, citizens get something valuable even if the stimulating effect never shows up.
Unnecessary road signs, by contrast, have no lasting or even temporary value. True, they provide work to the companies and workers that make and install them. But every dollar spent on them is a dollar that can't go to other companies and workers who do things like lay asphalt and repair bridges, which will be useful long after the money has all been spent.
Schock has introduced a bill, the "End the Stimulus Advertisement Act," that would ban such displays, and it deserves passage. But if politicians insist on putting up signs giving credit, here's what the signs should say: "Project Funded by the American Taxpayers."
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