WASHINGTON — With states eager to spend, President Barack Obama announced guidelines Friday aimed at preventing waste and fraud and limiting the influence lobbyists will have in carrying out the $787 billion economic- stimulus program.
“This plan cannot and will not be an excuse for waste and abuse,” Obama said. To make his point, the guidelines specify that stimulus funds can’t be used on projects such as aquariums, zoos, golf courses, swimming pools or casinos.
The law specifies states will lose their share of the anti- recession spending if they miss a deadline or don’t allocate the money fast enough. But state officials have had trouble keeping track of the application deadlines and requirements in the 400-page law. For weeks the administration had failed to disclose what the rules were, even though governors are required to sign pledges saying they’ll spend the money appropriately.
