Washington, D.C. – Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Tom Coburn, R-Okla., released a report Tuesday highlighting what they call the 100 worst stimulus projects in the nation. Eight projects in North Carolina made the list:
- The University of North Carolina at Charlotte earned second place for its award of $762,372 to develop ‘Dance Tube’ software “that will allow the public to engage in interactive dance choreography.
- Wake Forest University got $71,623 to study the effects of cocaine on monkeys. The project preserved two jobs.
- Wake Forest received another $294,958 to study the effect of yoga on hot flashes in menopausal women. Six jobs were created.
- Wake Forest got a third grant of $266,505 for a drug-addiction studies program for journalists. Four jobs were created.
- N.C. State University was awarded $770,856 to research the effect of video games – such as Nintendo Wii’s Boom Blox – on the mental health of the elderly.
- N.C. State got an additional $253,123 to purchase cabinets and drawers for storing bugs in its not-so-famous Insect Museum, which entertains about 44 visitors a year.
- Duke University received $498,176 to improve privacy on social networking websites such as Facebook and Myspace. The funding will support two graduate students for three years.
- An audit by the Department of Housing and Urban Development revealed that the City of Greenville did not meet the qualifications for the $1.9 million grant it received to remove lead hazards from 150 low-income homes and to create 60 jobs. So far, 53 homes have been cleared of lead and 17 jobs have been created.
“If we’re going to have a stimulus bill, we ought to be truly about stimulating the economy, it ought to be creating real jobs, and it ought to be doing the thing that gives us the best bang for our buck,” Coburn said in a press conference Tuesday.