Can we please debunk (once and for all) this "phony zip code rumor"? The lies are everywhere....

[secondwind]

and there is no proof (?) that the billions were recovered????

IS THIS ALL TRUE?

I need to debunk this, once and for all. Or get some new friends .... :-)

[NoPasaran]

1. French Toast is here! Game Over, man!

Game over!

[secondwind]

2. ?????

[saltpoint]

3. I love French toast.

[leftynyc]

4. Phony zip code rumor?

Everywhere? I never heard of it.

[shadowrider]

6. Stimulus funds

Were given to businesses in non-existent zip codes, from what I recall, in Virginia and other states. Also, from what I can tell, it's not a rumor but true. I'll try and find reliable sources for info.

[LiberalFighter]

8. Well if it happened in Virginia then it must be the Republicans fault

cause wouldn't the states be responsible for providing the data? And Virginia has a Republican governor.

[shadowrider]

9. I give up

But I believe this happened before a Republican was elected. I'm not pointing fingers at either party, this is simply an error that occurred, unfortunate as it is.

[LiberalFighter]

11. If you go to recovery.gov

you will see that they explain that the recipient of the stimulus money provided the data.

Some only provided the state.
Some only provided a zip code.
Some provided the address. But they may not have provided the correct zip code for the address.

[TheCowsCameHome]

5. What phony rumor?

[shadowrider]

7. Here ya go

http://newmexico.watchdog.org/2010/01/03/federal-stimulus-funds-reportedly-spent-in-nonexistent-zip-codes/

http://oklahoma.watchdog.org/2010/01/06/299/

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Phantom-zip-codes-also-found-in-Virginia-80795072.html

edit: Google "stimulus funds non-existent zip codes". Lots of info there.

[yellowcanine]

12. I don't know but the Washington Examiner is a right wing rag that started appearing free in my

driveway about 6 months ago. We finally were able to get it stopped by calling a number which was printed once a week on the plastic bag the paper came in. Inside the paper there is minimal information about who is publishing it. My suspicion is that it is the Mooney Times in sheep clothing and they are trying to build up a set of loyal readers by delivering it free and then at some point they will start charging for it - probably at the same time they finally close down the Mooney Times. By the way, I am old enough to remember when the Mooney Times was first started and they had the same strategy back then - deliver the paper for free unsolicited.

So I would add, I don't know about your other sources, but in my book the Washington Examiner is NOT a reliable source.

[izzybeans]

13. Those links look like google bombs designed for a rumor mill.

This is innuendo without substance. Either there were a small fraction of companies who lied or they made clerical errors. It's up to the company to report their own information. Our company works on grants from the federal gov. we report these things through independent auditors who typically make stupid mistakes because the big auditing firms send in 22 year olds more worried about their nails and their hangover to do this type of work. We have to update these reports all the time because of it. We also have sites operating in multiple zip codes and so our home office doesn't always match up with the zip code where the money actually goes to -which in our grants are required. My guess is stimulus fund contracts work the same way.

$9 million out of how many Billions? Someone is spinning this without actually tracking down what the problem is. could be an auditors problem, could be a clerical problem, or as is likely the case a lot of these companies have a home office whose zip code differs from where the contract work is being performed (satallite office, etc).

They don't really specify how much of the money relates to zip codes that exist in "other states" and how many "do not exist at all". Both of which could be explained with a little leg work on the part of these "journalists" writing this garbage.

[Clio the Leo]

10. I'd go with "New Friends." NT