Now That We've Got All This Stimulus Money, We Need Some More Money To Track How We're Spending It!

The truly indispensable and always-fascinating mag Government Executive reports:

The chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee announced on Tuesday that he will sponsor a bill to provide funding for state auditors who are struggling to keep pace with the demands of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

"With individual states receiving billions in stimulus funding, it makes sense that the states also be fully equipped to closely monitor those taxpayer dollars," said Democratic Rep. Edolphus Towns at a committee field hearing here in his home district [in New York]. "Not initially providing funds for state auditors under the Recovery Act was an omission that should be rectified as soon as possible."

The American Recovery and Resident-Ripoff Act did kick over $200 million for audits and oversight of how funds would be spent at the federal level. But what about sad-sack, busted-and-broken-down state and local folks? Shed a tear for them, kind souls.

New York state and city officials said on Tuesday they would be forced to spend non-stimulus funds to hire independent accounting firms or contractors, further depleting their already thin coffers.

More here.
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