A theme of Coburn's work is that money is going toward dubious projects that will leave little imprint. One project mentioned is the $3.4-million construction of a 13-foot tunnel near Tallahassee, Fla., that will allow turtles and other wildlife to safely cross U.S. Highway 27.
The report said the area "has the highest road-kill mortality rate for turtles in the world." But it also suggests other uses for the money, and mentions Florida State University's plans to lay off 200 faculty and staff members in hopes of saving millions of dollars.
Officials at the Florida Department of Transportation defended the project as one that not only would save turtles but also protect motorists. "A lot of these turtles are quite large. They get hit by a car, and they turn into flying objects," said Josh Boan, the department's natural resources manager.
Construction on the tunnel is to begin in September. State officials could not estimate how many jobs would be created.
Raising questions about the government's ability to manage the stimulus money, Coburn's report also focuses on more than 8,000 Social Security checks that have been mailed to people who are dead.
A spokesman for the Social Security system said the checks were mailed based on erroneous records. In most cases, the Postal Service returns the checks directly to the government.
One $250 check went to the home of Antonietta Santopadre, a 74-year-old retired hairdresser living in New York. The check was made out to her father, who died 35 years ago. In an interview Monday, Santopadre said: "I was infuriated. Where's our money going? Our country is in such trouble right now."
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peter.nicholas@latimes.com
