Visit Recovery.gov to learn how the government spends $787B

February 17, 2009 | Anthony Ha | Comments | |

You may have heard that President Barack Obama signed the $787 billion economic recovery bill today. The recent House and Senate votes were divided almost entirely along party lines, but hey, it passed, and regardless of how you feel about the bill, you can track where all that money gets spent on the new Recovery.gov website.

Past visitors to WhiteHouse.gov will probably notice that that recovery site looks almot identical. There are some cool bits of information up there already, including the text of the bill itself, as well as charts showing (very broadly) how the money will be spent. Even better is the promise of more to come, particularly searchable data on where exactly federal agencies are distributing the money. The site also says the team is looking at ways to make that data exportable for mashups and gadgets, although there are no solid promises.

Readers may recall that I criticized WhiteHouse.gov for its ridiculous 500-character limit on messages. It looks like the White House site has increased that limit to 5,000 characters, and the Recovery site includes no such limit at all. Apparently a compilation of comments sent to the site will be presented to the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board at its first meeting. (Note that “presented” doesn’t mean any of the board members will actually read it.)

Regardless of whether you’re interested in the stimulus plan’s impact on broadband, cleantech, or the economy as a whole, I’d suggest following Obama’s advice and checking back often.

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About the Author, Anthony Ha

Anthony is VentureBeat's assistant editor, as well as its reporter on enterprise technology, cloud computing, and tech policy. Before joining VentureBeat in 2008, Anthony worked at the Hollister Free Lance, where he won awards from the California Newspaper Publishers Association for breaking news coverage and writing. He attended Stanford University and now lives in San Francisco. Reach him at anthony@venturebeat.com. You can also follow Anthony on Twitter.

  • Richard Kain
    Obama had promised full texts of bills be available for comment five days before, not after, voting. The site still does not feature links to the text of the bill. As of the evening of the 17th, It features a link to an ajax pop up that links to whitehouse.gov which features five separate massive .pdf files that have yet another pop up hurdle to clear. This is only transparent in its wish to discourage voters to read and comment on the bill. For those interested it is more easily available at http://thomas.loc.gov
  • Thanks for the link Richard.
  • Yes, it's a downer that hasn't happened yet, though the administration did address this earlier the issue month and say, "The policy will be implemented in full soon." http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/update_on_s...
  • grampy24
    If this is supposed to be "transparency" it has a long way to go. It doesn't tell me at all where the money actually goes, only vague reference to areas where it will no doubt be funneled to legislators pet projects.
  • oneunrepresentedvoter
    How GD stupid do they think we are? I don't trust for once second that this money will go anywhere but to the pig's pet pork barrels. I am totally disgusted and fed up.
  • HowStupidDoDemsThinkWeAre
    Amen.
  • whats new
    You need to relax yourself.
  • joasis
    how can the $288b be called "Tax Relief" when the bulk of it is just a handout to those who don't even pay taxes?

    And what the &%$# is "Protecting the Vulnerable"? This list is just line after line of the democrats' socialist agenda.

    Do you think the promised "transparency" was suddenly confused with "conspiracy"
  • HowStupidDoDemsThinkWeAre
    "Protecting the Vulnerable" was probably Princess Pelosi's and Scary Harry's way of keeping money in there for Obama's ACORN.
  • Ray
    Do you want to know about wasteful spending? Well, here it is and as far as change goes? The only change I see that has come out of all this financial mess is making sure we don't have any change left. How great is it to know that I will have a mere $13.00 dollars left on my paycheck and then ,only $8.00 next year, when everything is going to be so much higher. Want to talk about "snake oil" salesman? We got him!!!!
  • Jack
    Truer words were never spoken, this is pure a sham & wash job that will benefit noone who really needs it.
  • DS
    Exactly. "Tax Relief" is just a nonsense term for "More Welfare" for non-taxpayers. The liberal/progressive radicals are in charge now, and as soon as they have 51% of the citizens paying NO taxes, and the rest supporting them, they will have achieved their socialist utopia. Here's to the USA...what it used to be. Rest in peace.
  • Ed
    Corruption and incompetence in both government and the private sector got us into this mess and not one penny spent on eliminating those problems. In fact, the majority of the corrupt people are still in responsible positions in government and Obama has added a new set of corrupt and incompetent people. This country has a problem.
  • michael
    Anyone know the going rate on pitchforks? I'm thinking about buying a few thousand because I suspect they will SOON be in big demand by people en route to DC.
  • Burks
    It seems that the best and fairest way to provide tax relief is to give back a percentage of the taxes that they paid last year with a preset limit. This would help individuals and small business,this would leave people that don't need tax relief and corporate america out of the picture.How complicated is that?
  • FireEagle
    Um... can you explain that again.. B.'h'.O.
  • Messiah Watcher
    It seems "Transparency" is the new buzz tern of the media and government, and I for one agree with them: Every law, claim, promise, and utterance from the bureaucrats and press is so TRANSPARENT that it's impossible to determine what it means or its effect. And the term may also apply to the character of the speakers as well.

    As Rush says, everything BHO says has a lifetime or expiration date. I would guess that to be about 30 seconds, except for his one statement yesterday: "This is the beginning of the end." That one's going to be oh so true!!!
  • whats new
    Rush is and ignorant Moron,his words and views mean nothing,and if you believe in him or anything he says you are just as Stupid as he is,and you deserve eveything you get for following that Numb Nut.
  • larry
    I knew we were in trouble years ago, when I had a business, and I had to pay an ESTIMATED EARNING TAX before I even earned it. I was not a fortune teller, and under estimated, therefore I was penilized for guessing wrong and had to pay a surcharge.
  • Anna Anderson
    Love the commentary.
    How do you spell Tax relief? How about giving each TAXPAYER under $100,000 a $10,000 stimulus check? Then s/he can pay off back mortgage payments, put a downy on a house, pay on credit card debt, or survive a layoff, maybe even buy a car or major appliance. That would take care of the banks and credit card companies and "free" the taxpayer.
    Oh, right. I forgot that we are too stupid to figure out how to use the money correctly.
    How about congressmen stop voting themselves payraises and perks, start paying taxes and social security, go to jail for breaking the law, get no "overdraft protection", and live on a budget? Better yet, why don't we vote them all out of office and start new?
    And no payment for not working after losing an election. Since they pay no SS or federal employment, they shouldn't get more when they retire either. Term limits for legislators sounds good to me.
  • rufus
    I worked for 30+ yrs., got disabled and am no longer able to work. I live off a ss check and medicare. I see no help for people like me in this crap but see plenty for people who have never worked, paid taxes or are not supposed to be in the US in the first place. My daughter got it right when she said " We are in deep dodo now" .
  • scared
    Socialism for sure and the start of communisum pure and simple
  • RaFo
    what about acountabilaty , smarter goverment a leader with foresight and intelect and confidence to deal with this crisis, Obama has only been in office for weeks ,he's not only has to deal with the currupt goverment parties reps/dems but also those talking heads mind readers ,cable chatter bias reporters and idiots like Hannity and Rush Limbo the boopas of radio, and listeners who cant think for them self and believe every thing they say who want Obama and country to fail just to get elected in next election great american,country first yea right ...
  • mistermac
    Rufus said it all! I'm in the same boat and paid into Government taxes and programs for 40 years . I never used welfare, food stamps, unemployment insurance,and paid for my families health insurance every month. What return do I get for lending out my tax dollars to stimulis programs?A few scraps would be appreciated.
  • stargazersdad
    Ditto Rufus and Mistermac, started at 12 y.o and retired in '07 . Oh how I like to see what he is doing to us? NOT
  • Paul In Richmond
    Protecting the vulnerable?? Protecting the vulnerable??? WTF do they think we are - complete fools? That is not disclosure. That is propaganda. Snort!
  • dyhtzgl
    The past two years, I have received a raise on my social securiy check, only to have
    an adjustment to medicare, which has lowered my check to les than it was.
    Please no more raises. I can't find anything in the stimulus plan to help senior citizens.
    What about us??
  • Angela
    Let"s all pray. Pray for our leaders. We all need to tighten our budgets. I make those pennies scream! Plant a garden,reuse things ,recycle.
  • HowStupidDoDemsThinkWeAre
    I heard someone say this morning:
    United State of America
    Born: July 1776
    Died: February 2009
  • Diane
    Obama has turned out to be a bigger disappointment that I dreamed!

    Once our country is totally bankrupt and beyond hope, then the 'full nelson' will be applied. The government will own us and no one will be strong enough to fight back.
  • Ken
    Everyone's heard over and over the 70% of the economy is the consumer. How would we all have felt if we knew NO FEDERAL TAXES would be collected from payrolls from anyone earning less than $100,000 for 6 months? Followed by 6 months at 50% collected. No penalties. No interest. No "pay later" clause. That would have been MY stimulus package. No act of Congress. No pork. No bigger gov't. No slimy politician, crony, lobbyist or gov't employee or bureaucrat getting their hands on one single penny. All "spending" in the hands of the American people who I trust, by default, would spend it on what it "needs" while doing nothing but strengthening the industries/companies which DESERVE a bail out based on the quality, utility and necessity/desire of their product. In one year we would be on our way to REAL recovery without leaving a staggering debt to our grandchildren and without all so many "chosen" ones with their pockets stuffed with our money. You got a problem with that? I'd like to hear about it with a sensible reason why.
  • sandraca
    I agree with you all. How did we let this happen? How can we stop it? I'm just sick about the future of our country.
  • George
    Show me who got the CHECK, HOW MUCH and WHEN it was transferred.
    Each State or Department should then show on a WEB SITE how it spends the money!
    We should be able to track it to the user!!!
  • Rafo
    First Obama didn,t have the experience ,He won the elections broke records in campianging history,Now critics, cable/radio chatter this stimulus is not going to work,but this is what will work now we have all these experts ,where were they when this country was going into crisis, jobs going over to other countries ,declining value of dollar,no oversight on greedy wall street ,inflation,growing deficet bottom line no leadership.To all sinics Obama has the intelect and foresight ,leadership to lead this country out of this crisis. He is ahead of the politics games being played and cable /radio ratings games .
  • jd
    we will now be known to the world as the USSA "the United Socialists States of America"
  • Rafo
    How about the USA being run by Lobbyist and greedy corparations the last 8 years with no one at the switch, Just the decision to go into Iraq when fighting a war in afganastan look what it has cost us in blood and treasure and having the whole world behind us after 9/11 . give corparation tax breaks so they can employ more workers capalist system yea right give them tax breaks they get rich with our tax dollars then they go over seas and employ cheap lobor and leave . just ask many of the people who were experiencing it years ago. we need some one to lead us with foresight and wisdom and intelect in the 21st century not the same old politacal games of the past. Now is the time when the USA needs to unite like we did on 9/11 and become a nation to lead the world agian we owe it to the brave milatary heroes who have paid the altimate price for this country.