According to a recent report by Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), a West Virginia project receiving funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act ranks No. 88 on a list of 100 wasteful stimulus projects.

The report, titled “Summertime Blues: 100 Stimulus Projects that Give Taxpayers the Blues,” lists a $650,000 Army Corps of Engineers contract for grounds and restroom cleaning at the Bulltown Campground and the office in Burnsville, W.Va.

From the report:

“At Burnsville Dam in West Virginia, the Army Corps of Engineers is spending stimulus funds for a company to clean its bathrooms, offices and the campgrounds. Air Maids LLC out of Troy, Ohio was awarded a contract for up to $650,000 for restroom cleaning and other grounds services. Work is taking place at the Bulltown Campground and Corps offices at the Burnsville Dam in West Virginia. So far, almost $50,000 in invoices for this work have been paid for with stimulus funds out of the Corps’ Civil Works program. Across the nation, the Corps of Engineers has been funding much more substantial repairs and equipment upgrade priorities through its Civil Work program.”

The Burnsville project is the only West Virginia project on the list.

The report is a third in series. While some of the projects the report lists are shocking, the authors admit that some of the projects on the lower end of the lists may have value, but are being mismanaged.

“When Congress passed the $862 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009, otherwise known as the stimulus bill, it passed with assurances that it would stem the loss of American jobs and keep the economy from floundering. As most can see, it hasn’t.

Eighteen months since the law’s passage, millions of jobs are still gone and the economy is as uncertain as ever. The only thing getting a boost is our national debt – the stimulus has helped push it 23 percent higher, to $13.2 trillion, a new record.

The dramatic increase in government spending has not shortened the nation’s unemployment lines. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in June 2010 was 9.5 percent, which is essentially the same as June of last year. Many economists are forecasting that the debt incurred to pay for these projects increases the risk of a greater economic downturn in the near future.

We owe it to all Americans that are paying taxes and struggling to find jobs, to rebuild our economy without doing additional harm, and to do it in a way that expands opportunities for future generations. Too many stimulus projects are failing to meet that goal.”

Between Feb. 2009 and June 2010 West Virginia has received nearly $1.5 billion in contracts and and grants through the stimulus, creating 3,565 jobs. According to Workforce WV, West Virginia’s unemployment rose by 700 in July, rising to a total 68,000 unemployed. The Burnsville project employs nine people.

Read the full report below:

West Virginia Stimulus Project Ranks 88 On 100 Most Wasteful List

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