Government dollars at work?

That is, your tax dollars.

CNN article regarding Recovery.gov

This article says, in plain english, that the website www.recovery.gov has inaccurately reported stimulus money spent and the jobs saved/ created in US congressional districts that don't exist.

"A report released Wednesday by the Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity said it found such errors on pages for all 50 states, four territories and Washington, D.C. More than $6.4 billion in stimulus funds was shown as being spent -- and more than 28,420 jobs saved or created -- in 440 false districts, it said."

My knee jerk reaction is to assume that someone wants their administration to look great in front of the public and is willing to lie to look good - or worse, that money was funneled or laundered and this was how they covered it up. Let us remember, though, that we are supposed to be a nation of "innocent until proven guilty".

The explanation is that the people who received the money reported their congressional district inaccurately and, as VP Biden stated it, the errors didn't indicate unaccounted-for spending but rather were the result of people who had "bad civics classes." Good. Now we know that we're to blame...

Here are the questions and concerns that I'm left with:

1. The direct implication here is that recovery.gov is not getting it's information from the government who spent it, but from the people who received it. Why aren't they using their own data as they track what's being spent? - Answer: They admitted already that they don't know where it's being spent. This poor excuse for accountability is a reaction to that revelation, meaning they have to go back and ASK the recipients how much they got and where they spent it.

2. If we can't trust WHERE it's being spent, how are we supposed to believe anyone who tells us how much is being spent or what good it's doing?

3. We were shocked to hear that our government doesn't know where the stimulus is being spent, and they make it worse by screwing up any attempt to make good on their own accountability. The billion (trillion?) dollar question that everyone should be asking - how are we supposed to trust our Government with anything? Health care? National Defense? Civil service? REPRESENTATION?

So now, when they claim to have put 120,000 more people onto health care insurance, we can assume that means 12.

Who do you say Jesus is?

I've heard many teachers and theologians pose this question. I've heard them pose it themselves as well as reflect upon the chapter and verse where Jesus asked the same question. These theologians and teachers always come back with the same basic reflection what you, the people, "tend to say in response", but I'd like to hear it from you! I'll share some of the pat answers they give, and even my own reflections and answer - but I'd like to see some response first. Care to chime in?

Who do you say Jesus is?