ALL EYES ON OBAMA: Note to Beck: Doors repaired with stimulus funds were hangar doors and did not cost $1.4 million

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Note to Beck: Doors repaired with stimulus funds were hangar doors and did not cost $1.4 million

http://mediamatters.org/items/200907210005

On the July 20 edition of his Fox News show, Glenn Beck falsely claimed that the government spent $1.4 million of economic stimulus funds "to repair a door" at Dyess Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, adding, "Wow, what happened to that door? That's a lot of repairing, you know. Can we buy a new one, and cheaper? I don't know what building 5112 is, but it better fly, drop bombs, or have 1.4 million doors." Introducing the segment, Beck stated: "Now, you can go right online and see how they're just peeing your money away." In fact, the repaired doors on Building 5112 were actually hangar doors, and they did not cost $1.4 million to repair.

Beck's claim that the government spent $1.4 million to "repair a door" echoes a headline posted on July 20 on the Drudge Report, which stated: "RECOVERY.GOV // AWARDED: $1,444,100 FOR 'REPAIR DOOR BLDG 5112'..."

In fact, under the "View all project descriptions" link on the page to which the Drudge Report linked, Recovery.gov actually states that the government awarded AFCO Technologies nearly $1.2 million to replace gas mains on the base, and $246,100 to repair doors in Building 5112. A Department of Defense document listing American Recovery and Reinvestment Act projects in Texas states that the doors that were repaired in Building 5112 are "hangar doors." Moreover, a May 5 press release from the Dyess Air Force Base stated that the money awarded for the gas main project "may have saved eight jobs" and that the base could "now possibly hire two more employees."

During the segment, Beck -- again echoing the Drudge Report -- also stated that the government "spent $1.1 million on 2-pound frozen ham," and "more than $1.5 million ... for some mozzarella cheese." However, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack issued a statement on July 20 stating that the "references to '2 pound frozen ham sliced' are to the sizes of the packaging. Press reports suggesting that the Recovery Act spent $1.191 million to buy '2 pounds of ham' are wrong." Vilsack added: "In fact, the contract in question purchased 760,000 pounds of ham for $1.191 million, at a cost of approximately $1.50 per pound."

Vilsack also stated that "the U.S. Department of Agriculture has made $100 million available to the states for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), which acquires food that is distributed to local organizations that assist the needy -- including food banks, food pantries, and soup kitchens."

From the July 20 edition of Fox News' Glenn Beck:

BECK: By the way, we spent $18 million redesigning Recovery.gov. Now, you can go right online and see how they're just peeing your money away. It's great. Like in Los Angeles, where the Department of Agriculture has spent $1.1 million on 2-pound frozen ham, sliced. I hope it's more than just one ham.

By the way, they tell me now it's not just per pound. The -- Agriculture -- Department of Agriculture has pointed this out that they bought 760,000 pounds for $1.50 per pound. We checked at the grocery store, you can get it for $0.80. Some savings, huh? Thanks, Uncle Sam.

In Cleveland, the Department of Agriculture is spending more than $1.5 million from -- for some mozzarella cheese. Wait a minute, I'm seeing a theme here. Oh, please tell me we brought some bread.

The Department of Veterans Affairs in Brooklyn is spending $350,000 to replace and upgrade the dumbwaiter. The dumb waiter, I think, is the guy who brings you a $3 million sandwich, and the dumb taxpayer is the one who gets the bill.

And in San Antonio, Texas, Dyess Air Force Base -- $1.4 million to repair a door at Building 5112. Wow, what happened to that door? That's a lot of repairing, you know. Can we buy a new one, and cheaper? I don't know what building 5112 is, but it better fly, drop bombs, or have 1.4 million doors.

But, maybe it's OK. Maybe we can go ahead and spend all this money, you know, on ham and cheese sandwiches. According to the -- by the way, does anybody know why we're spending all that money on the ham? Are we trying to reassemble a pig? I'm not sure what the Department of Agriculture would need all of that ham for, but maybe it's another luau at the White House.