The Stimulus Turns Two: How Obama Quietly Changed Washington

[babylonsister]

The Stimulus Turns Two: How Obama Quietly Changed Washington
Washington
By Michael Grunwald


President Obama is often mocked for failing to change Washington …. but behind the scenes of the Beltway perpetual-conflict machine, he has made quiet progress towards reforming Washington — not politically, but bureaucratically. The most important reform, launched two years ago today, was tucked inside his unpopular stimulus package, and inside his new budget, he’s trying to expand it.

The reform is a simple concept that certainly ought to be post-partisan: Harnessing the power of competition in the spending of taxpayer dollars …. Obama has tried to divert funds into competition-based, peer-reviewed, results-oriented grant programs that reward only the worthiest applications. The best-known is the Race to the Top education program, but the stimulus hatched similar competitions in energy, transportation, housing, health care and broadband. And Obama’s 2012 budget proposes new races to the top in everything from juvenile justice to workforce development to agricultural research.

The $4.35 billion Race to the Top program … shows how competition can create laboratories for change. By setting clear goals and guidelines … the program encouraged 41 states to change laws or policies before the feds even spent a nickel the impact of a program that amounts to less than 1% of the education budget will extend well beyond the twelve states that won grants.

more...

http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,2049816,00.html

[Vinnie From Indy]

1. "The reform is a simple concept "

"The reform is a simple concept that certainly ought to be post-partisan: Harnessing the power of competition in the spending of taxpayer dollars ….

"Harnessing the power of competition" WTF does that really mean? The article makes it seem as though grants were given in a non-competitive environment in the past. Is that true?

Also, I always get skeptical when I hear government talking about "competition". Many times that is simply a code word for privatization which is a code word for "we're gonna sell govt. services to our campaign supporters who will immediately double or triple the cost to the general public".

[geek tragedy]

2. Halliburton got rich off of no-bid contracts. nt

[KoKo]

3. His Chess Game is Finally Paying OFF! GOOD NEWS...!

:yourock:

[Clio the Leo]

4. One of my few complaints about Obama...

.... he needs to brag about himself a little more.

But that would, perhaps, be like asking Limbaugh to practice humility.

[babylonsister]

5. lol! Nice analogy. nt