Senators Tom Coburn (R-OK) and John McCain (R-AZ) have put out an excellent report on how your stimulus money is being spent. The report, Summertime Blues, has one example of Obama Stimulus money being used to study the effects of how “monkeys react under the influence of cocaine.”
28. Monkeys Get High for Science (Winston-Salem, NC) – $144,541
Researchers at Wake Forest University think that, in at least one case, it is good to monkey around with your stimulus dollars. The Department of Health and Human Services has sent $144,541 to the Winston-Salem college to see how monkeys react under the influence of cocaine. The project, titled “Effect of Cocaine Self-Administration on Metabotropic Glutamate Systems,” would have the monkeys self-administer the drugs while researchers monitor and study their glutamate levels. When asked how studying drug-crazed primates would improve the national economy, a Wake Forest University Medical School Spokesman said, “It’s actually the continuation of a job that might not still be there if it hadn’t been for the stimulus funding. And it’s a good job.” He added, “It’s also very worthwhile research.”
You can’t make this stuff up.
UPDATE: Just checked Recovery.gov and they claim that this project reported “0.43” jobs created as a result of this award. This may explain the inflated numbers of jobs “saved or created” by the Obama Stimulus plan.
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