Following the stimulus money

Recovery.gov is the Web site set up by the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board to help all of us keep track of the spending of the $787 billion stimulus bill, better known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, signed into law last week by President Barack Obama.

As you might imagine, tracking that many dollars will be a daunting task.
The site doesn't yet have details of specific projects, but it promises to track every penny.

A note in the frequently asked questions section explains how recovery.gov will work to show which money goes where.

Q: How can I see how much recovery money is coming to my community?
A: Until the funding is distributed by the federal government to states and local governments, and eventually to your community, we won't be able to determine exactly where all of the funding will go. Over the next few weeks and months, there's going to be a lot of data coming in, as we coordinate with different agencies. As soon as the first dollars start to go out, you'll be able to track where the money is going. Detailed state maps will be available to assist your tracking.

I encourage you to sign up for the e-mail newsletter. There's a box at the top of every page to enter your e-mail address and ZIP code. I signed up and plan to give updates periodically on what I receive.

Let's hope whoever gets the money doesn’t spend it all in one place.