[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9725]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            STIMULUS FAILURE

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, some may wonder why the nearly $1 trillion in 
government stimulus spending failed to hold down unemployment or 
reinvigorate our economy. Phillip Greenspun, owner and operator of a 
helicopter company in Boston, understands why government doesn't 
efficiently spend the public's money. In a June 16 blog post, he 
relates his maddening experiences with Federal bureaucracy.
  As the manager of his company, he must administer a random drug test 
to employees. As the only employee, he must surprise himself with a 
drug test. As the manager, he must take a course on giving drug tests. 
As the only employee, he must take a course on his rights regarding 
drug tests. Mr. Greenspun notes that all of these requirements and 
steps don't just cost him money, but cost the Federal Government since 
FAA employees must ensure all of these requirements are met. It's just 
a small illustration of how the government manages to make the simple 
complex and hurt both businesses and taxpayers. It's just another 
reason why we need a smaller, less expensive Federal Government so that 
our private sector can grow again.

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