KXXV-TV News Channel 25 - Central Texas News and Weather for Waco, Temple, Killeen | "Phantom" districts in Texas receiving stimulus money

"Phantom" districts in Texas receiving stimulus money

by Henry Rosoff

WACO - More than $6.4 Billion in Federal Economic Stimulus money is going to 440 congressional districts that do not exist.

Seven of the "phantom" districts, as they are being called, are in Texas. The most recent stimulus report on recovery.gov shows more than $14 million supposedly creating 98 jobs in places that do not exist.

In the non-existent 58th district, about $3.5 million created 45 jobs, and in the "91st district," $57,000 is supposed to be responsible for 30 jobs. 

News Channel 25 reached out to the two men representing real districts here in Central Texas. Democrat Chet Edwards voted for the Stimulus Act. Republican John Carter voted against the stimulus.

A spokesman at Edwards' office said the congressman was still preparing his responses to the errors.  Carter, however, had some harsh words after learning about the mistakes.

"We know there's money being spent and if we can't trust the direction as to where it was spent, how can we trust what it was spent [on], or how it was spent?" Carter said.  "I keep asking about this, because quite frankly we're spending ourselves into the poor house."

According to the Associated Press, many of the errors are because data like zip codes and district identifiers are not being entered into computers correctly by those receiving the stimulus dollars.

However, Congressman Carter said he and several other Republicans are looking at action to clean up the sloppy accounting.