(ThePatriotWire)- What do racial healing pop-ups in Minneapolis, an armored SWAT truck in Pittsburgh, “restorative justice” educational discipline in New York City, and school vape detectors in Montgomery, Alabama, have in common? Through the hurriedly approved American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which Democrats advanced through Congress on a party-line vote in early 2021, they are all supported by federal taxpayers.
The $1.9 trillion bill was presented as an urgent measure to aid in the recovery of the United States from the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic effects.
However, a lot of money is being spent on initiatives that don’t seem to have much to do with the pandemic virus or its recovery. Many of these initiatives are legal in theory. But that’s not how the package was offered for sale.
At a White House event honoring the bill’s passage by the Senate in March 2021, Biden stated that “the American people have been told they are on their own for more than a year. We have observed the hardship this has caused for so many Americans. Everything in this package is intended to alleviate suffering, attend to the nation’s most pressing needs, and improve our chances of winning, beginning with eradicating this virus and vaccinating the populace.”
Six days later, at a White House signing event, Biden made the following commitment: “To ensure there is no fraud or waste and the law serves its intended purpose, meticulous inspection will be necessary. We have to get this properly, and I mean that.”
And yet, not only is money being spent on what appear to be unconnected goals, but a sizable percentage of the money allocated for municipal, state, and school districts hasn’t even been expended.
According to federal figures, only 12% of the more than $100 billion allocated for primary and secondary schools has been spent thus far. And as of the end of March 2022, just approximately $70 billion of the $350 billion allotted for state and local governments had been spent, according to estimates from the Treasury Department. A little bit more than $100 billion of the sum was contractually required to be used.
By late March, perhaps half of the $350 billion had been planned for use in the future. Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, bought a new armored rescue truck. New York City allocated $4.9 million for a “No Stopping New York” advertising campaign. Seattle gave $2.5 million to upgrade “nearly 25 miles of Neighborhood Greenways.” A “Green Cost Share Program” focused on energy efficiency and renewable energy in BIOPOC communities was also given.
The use of “Emergency Money” for Covid rarely has anything to do with Covid. It is an outrageous waste of tax money.
