All American Blogger » Wisconsin School with "15 vacant school buildings, a large surplus of property and no plans for new construction" to Receive "$88.6 million over two years for new construction under the economic stimulus package"

Wisconsin School with "15 vacant school buildings, a large surplus of property and no plans for new construction" to Receive "$88.6 million over two years for new construction under the economic stimulus package"

Posted by Duane Lester on Feb 3rd, 2009 • Clicks

Milwaukee Public Schools are slated to rake in almost $100 million in the stimulus package passed by the House. The package is under heavy scrutiny in the Senate for including projects that simply will not stimulate the economy. However, money for infrastructure projects like the construction and upgrade of schools, isn’t sitting in the hot seat.

Maybe it should be:

Milwaukee Public Schools would reap $88.6 million over two years for new construction under the economic stimulus package just passed by the U.S. House of Representatives – even though the district has 15 vacant school buildings, a large surplus of property and no plans for new construction.

No district in the state would stand to benefit as much as MPS. In addition to the construction money, the district would get $115.5 million for special education and low income students over two years, according to detailed projections developed by congressional staffers. That totals $204.2 million for Milwaukee.

Overall, the 400-plus school districts across the state would get $729.6 million for those uses, including $317.2 million for construction.

In other words, 28% of the total number would come to Milwaukee.

Here is where the word games begin to be played. By “construction” they don’t necessarily mean “construction.” They could mean “upgrades.” So we should feel better about money going to upgrade 15 vacant buildings? They will be greener, after all.

Is it just me or is this the modern day equivalent to paying someone to dig a hole and then paying them to fill it in? I’m sure we paid for those buildings in the first place. Now we are paying to upgrade them.

And still no one is using them.

Photo Credit: Conspirator

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