Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe is demanding to know how the Obama administration is calculating the number of jobs it claims have been created and retained as a result of the Recovery Act and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Snowe says she's also seeking an explanation of reporting errors on the Recovery.gov Web site.
Snowe say she wants to know what methodology the administration is using to calculate the numbers. Snowe says she asked Small Business Administrator Karen Mills in June to provide an explanation of the system being used by the Small Business Administration to calculate, track, and record job creation numbers involving the SBA portion of the stimulus, but has yet to receive a response.
"While I remain concerned about the SBA methodology, I am also gravely concerned about inaccurate reporting on job creation and retention figures by the Administration from all provisions of the ARRA," Snowe says in a letter to Mills sent today. "Consistent with the President's promises and with the Administration's obligations to keep taxpayers and Congress apprised of the ARRA's effect on job creation and retention, I again ask that you provide the methodology used by the Administration to calculate these figures and ask that you rectify the reporting inaccuracies on the Recovery.gov website."
"The American people and Congress rightly demand accountability for the $787 billion in taxpayer funds being spent to stimulate our economy," Snowe also says in the letter. "I know you both share my belief that the success of the ARRA is vital to America's economic recovery, and I appreciate your attention to this critical issue."
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