Don’t squander state stimulus $

July 01, 2009 03:32 pm

— The $2.6 billion in stimulus funds that will come into Oklahoma provides a unique economic opportunity. We should not squander it.
So anyone who suspects that money has been misused should report it immediately. He or she should call the hotline that last week, state and federal officials established to report stimulus misuse suspicions.
We appreciate, too, efforts to provide greater oversight of state agencies by the state Auditor’s Office.
Reporting fraud should be something we do anytime, of course. But the stimulus money is actually additional debt the federal government approved in order to help get the country out of the present economic slump.
This editorial board did not support President Obama’s stimulus package. Our position was that the government should not take on additional debt, but make do with what it has.
That didn’t happen. Congress passed a $787 billion package. If the plan has any chance of succeeding, and profiting Oklahoma, then the money has to be used wisely and efficiently.
Already, the president of the Oklahoma Education Association, Roy Bishop, claims that the state was not using the stimulus money for education the way that it was intended. We would expect Bishop to provide some facts if that’s the case.

Fraud hotline
To report fraud, waste or abuse of federal stimulus money in Oklahoma, call (877) 259-7337.

Again, the stimulus money is a unique opportunity for Oklahoma educators to try new, innovative programs. If successful, then perhaps, they can be incorporated on a broader scale so Oklahoma can better prepare students for the future.
According to the state, besides education, the bulk of Oklahoma’s stimulus money will be received by the Oklahoma Health Care Authority and the state Transportation Department. Those are agencies we should be watching closely.