Squaring Off on Recovery Jobs

The chairman of the board that oversees Recovery.gov released on Monday a statement promoting the transparency of the stimulus-tracking website, just as Republicans on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee alleged the site is a public relations effort aimed at inflating the accomplishments of the administration.

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., the ranking member of the committee, repeatedly has knocked the accuracy of Recovery.gov, most recently by calling on federal auditors to investigate "propaganda" on the site, which is supposed to measure the number of jobs funded through stimulus dollars.

Also on Monday, committee Republicans released a report that they say examines numerous instances of misinformation spread by White House officials. The report stated:

Recovery.gov now displays jobs funded by the stimulus rather than the misleading 'jobs created or saved' figure. Still, there is no indication that the current figures are any more reliable than the ones touted by Vice President Biden and subsequently proven to be misleading and deceptive.

The number of jobs funded through the stimulus package during the quarter ending June 30 was 749,142, according to the latest tally on Recovery.gov.

Meanwhile, Earl Devaney, chairman of the Recovery and Accountability Transparency Board, posted a column on Recovery.gov that contradicted Issa's portrayal:

In creating the Recovery Act last year, lawmakers directed the board to build a 'user-friendly' website that would provide the utmost transparency in government spending. That objective has been achieved. Users can go on our website, Recovery.gov, pull out the raw data submitted by recipients, do their own analysis, and tell us when they find something that doesn't look right.

. . . Although this new level of transparency may not be obvious to casual observers, it is inspiring real transformation in the federal government. Looking at the broad picture, I do not believe the government can, or will, take a step backward. I expect future government spending to follow the Recovery Board's model of transparency. You, the decision makers, want transparency -- and you'll get it!