Negative Stimulus funds??

[Roy Pitchford]

I'm not sure if this was ever noticed by the media, but I just ran across this at recovery.gov

http://www.recovery.gov/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=stateSummaryAllZipCode&statecode=OH



I also found negative money in New York state.

[Brian Pedaci]

Even more interesting? Zip code 43233 does not exist.

[Roy Pitchford]

Even more interesting? Zip code 43233 does not exist.

Really? I thought I found a site showing a 43233 near Columbus.

I suppose I could have misread it.

[Jim DeVito]

So if this means anything it is that we have dropped the ball on setting up our own fake zip code and fake green projects and raking in the stimulus funding.

[Brian Pedaci]

See also:
http://watchdog.org/2010/01/06/phantom- ... lus-funds/

The stimulus is sending $375 million in the form of grants, loans and government contracts to fund more than 200 projects being performed in imaginary ZIP codes, like Washington’s 98900.

Ed Pound, spokesman for the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, said that the phantom ZIP Codes are “nonsense” and “much ado about nothing,” considering the 131,000 reports listed on the site.

“This is simply human error,” he said. “Just because recipients inverted ZIP Codes (at the place of performance) does not mean that the money is going to some phantom place.”

All but 12 of the nation’s states have at least one phantom ZIP receiving stimulus money. California tops the nation with 22 invented codes. Ohio, however, tops the nation in cost. The Buckeye State’s Office of Budget and Management sent $220 million to improve infrastructure in the 43233 ZIP code, which does not exist according to the USPS ZIP Code locator.

My wild guess is that the negative amount you're seeing is some accounting entry to back out funds mistakenly entered with an invalid zip, and it's probably showing up as a positive in some other zip code.

[Charlie Page]

Grelton, Ohio is zip code 43534. They recieved a grand total of $337. Not sure what that is going to stimulate.