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Giving away other people's money to help yourself get re-elected.
Sure this Federal pork is unconstitutional, but no Arizona elected official is going to complain when they use the loot to help themselves get re-elected. Phoenix to double some energy rebates by Emily Gersema - Jun. 29, 2012 03:08 PM The Republic | azcentral.com Phoenix is trying to hasten spending an estimated $13.8 million in federal stimulus funds on energy-saving improvements in homes and businesses along a 10-mile stretch of Metro light rail in central Phoenix. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today, Mayor Greg Stanton will lead a special promotion, "Go Green Like Your Grocer," at AJ's Fine Foods on Central Avenue and Camelback Road to sign up homeowners and business owners for hundreds of dollars in rebates for improving energy efficiency. Rebates will double from $250 to $500 for each of these measures: reducing leaks in ducts, sealing air leaks, insulating attics and installing new shade screens. Since the $25 million "Energize Phoenix" program began in April 2010, the city has spent $11.7 million of the stimulus funds -- a spending rate of an estimated $450,000 a month. At this pace, the city would need another two and a half years to spend all the money allotted for the program. It doesn't have that much time, though. The city has until June 2013 or it will have to return any unspent funds to the federal government. Energize Phoenix program manager Dimitrios Laloudakis said it takes at least two years for a program such as this to gain momentum because it involves assistance and coordination from other agencies including the utility Arizona Public Service, which has an energy-saving program for its customers. So far, 241 businesses have participated and received rebates, while 412 homeowners -- including condo owners and single-family homeowners -- have received rebates. Laloudakis said he expects participation to surge over the next eight months. As of Friday morning, 147 additional business rebates were being processed, and an estimated 1,200 applications by homeowners were in the pipeline, he said. Laloudakis said the rebates are limited to certain types of energy-saving measures such as duct seals and air leaks because the city is trying to maximize the $25 million to help as many qualified homeowners and businesses as possible. He said rebates are available for appliance replacements, but those are so large, doubling the rebates for those would drain the stimulus program very quickly and limit the number of people who benefit. |