Morning Cup of Stimulus: Contracts Gone Awry

March 19, 2009, 3:25 a.m. EDT

benderbending/Flickr; Krista Kjellman/ProPublica This is the latest from our stimulus blog.

At least three of the 11 stimulus-funded contracts already issued as of last night contained paper-work errors or were awarded without competition, Government Executive's Robert Brodsky reports. One, for more than $460,000 worth of concrete lavatories at Missouri park (we can't seem to put those toilets behind us), was piggybacked on an existing contract, while another, for "lighting," fails to report mandatory information about location or when the work should begin. The news came hours after Earl Devaney, the stimulus oversight maestro, warned local officials that reporters would be on the lookout for expensive toilets.

The battle continued yesterday between Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and House majority whip Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., over whether their state's governor can reject a portion of stimulus money. A nonpartisan report appears to take the Senator's side; Clyburn wasn't happy.

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