Washington state abounds with phantom Congressional districts per government Web site
Posted by Scott "The Piper" St. Clair - November 17, 2009Citizens and taxpayers in Washington’s 39th Congressional District would be outraged to know that over $300,000 in federal stimulus funds were spent without a single job being created. They would 
be if Washington had a 39th District, which it doesn’t – it only has nine districts in total (see the map at left).
But according to Recovery.gov, the federal government’s Web site that supposedly tracks the
spending of stimulus dollars and the resulting job-creation numbers, the state of Washington has twice as many Congressional districts as current law allows. And by reading between the lines – if there’s a 39th District, then there must be 38 others – the state has five times as many Districts.This includes the oddly numbered 00 Congressional District where three jobs were created by spending $2.25 million. There’s no truth to the rumor that the Double-0 Congressional seat is currently held by a colleague of Britain’s famous 007 spy, James Bond.
Efforts were made to contact either the members of Congress or staff in some of the newly-created districts to no avail. According to the phone company, no such numbers exist or service has yet to be initiated. We will continue with efforts to contact them.
Washington isn’t alone. According to data compiled by Watchdog investigative reporters across the nation, Congress is one crowded place – Recovery.gov has unilaterally doubled the size of the House of Representatives and declared Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Washington, D.C. to be states since they all have multitudes of Congressional districts.
For example, in the Northern Mariana Islands' 99th Congressional District, 142.6 jobs were created through the expenditure of almost $35.7 million. Unique to this new state is the interestingly unnumbered “congressional district” that saw $350,000 spent without the creation of any jobs. Given that the most generous population estimate of NMI is 85,000, it appears that close to $521.50 was spent for every man, woman, and child in this new “state.” And with 99 Congressional districts, the population of NMI is oddly apportioned - each district has on average 858.6 constituents, a low number by any standards.
All of this would be hilarious if it weren’t true, but the pathetic truth is that every state and territory (designated as a state by the Web site) is overloaded with an unconscionable level of errors. You can’t look at any state without coming away thinking that whoever is in charge of data entry for this has a fertile imagination – or is deranged.
But how does that translate into alleviating the legitimate human suffering of joblessness that the
Obama Administration promised it would have under control and under 8 percent by now? I’m sure the unemployed in both the real and phantom districts are not amused. As my sainted mother used to tell me, “T’ain’t funny, McGee.” With the current joblessness level at 10.2 percent and projected to climb, about the only real job-creation efforts that can be verified are the hundreds, or perhaps even thousands, of new phantom seats in Congress created by Recovery.gov. If you’ve ever wanted a career in politics, now’s the time – Congressional seats are lying around waiting to be picked up and filled.
Remember, the people who brought you Recovery.gov are the same ones who have a silver bullet for health care. I’m glad that the same level of accuracy and respect for the truth that brought us the Recovery.gov numbers is sure to be seen in Pres. Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's proposed health care plan.
Why not write Washington state's new Congressman in the 39th District, clearly pictured at left, to demand answers, oversight, and accountability?Thoughts? Add Comment -
km said on Nov 17 2009 at 12:20pm
Piper: Had a similar experience back in the late 70's. The fraud involved then was initiated by organized crime syndicates.
We were looking for financing to remodel a barn into a triplex in rural Thurston County. Ran into fed regs that required a comparable within 3 miles. An outrageous reg, as no such properties existed anywhere, let alone within 3 miles. Asked why the reg existed. Was told it was necessary, a organized crime syndicates were pillaging federally supported loan funds with bogus applications, taking the money, and then disappearing.
Maybe government regulations have their place in business and government?