WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama on Thursday rallied the people he is counting on to help turn around the economy and warned anew that he will not tolerate wasteful spending of his $787 billion economic stimulus package. “If we see money being misspent, we’re going to put a stop to it,” Obama told a gathering of state officials. Vice President Joe Biden, who is coordinating oversight of stimulus spending, opened the conference with an equally stern warning.”Six months from now, if the verdict on this effort is that we’ve wasted the money, we built things that were unnecessary or we’ve done things that are legal but make no sense, then, folks, don’t look for any help from the federal government for a long while,” he said.
Obama to states: Spend stimulus wisley – or else
By The Associated Press
March 11, 2009