USDA: 760,000 lbs. of ham for $1.2M

[babylonsister]

USDA: 760,000 lbs. of ham for $1.2M
By Sam Youngman
Posted: 07/20/09 11:33 AM


U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack pushed back Monday against reports his agency spent $1.2 million in economic stimulus funds on a two-pound ham.

Visack said the department actually bought 760,000 pounds of ham with funds from the $787 billion stimulus, which the GOP has attacked as wasteful spending.

“Press reports suggesting that the Recovery Act spent $1.19 million to buy ‘2 pounds of ham’ are wrong,” Vilsack said in a statement. “In fact, the contract in question purchased 760,000 pounds of ham for $1.191m, at a cost of approximately $1.50 per pound.”

Visack put out the statement after the Drudge Report posted several contracts from the government’s stimulus website. The contracts suggested the administration has spent $1.19 million on 2 pounds of ham, $1.56 million for mozzarella cheese and $16.8 million on canned pork, among other items. Republicans blasted around screen shots from the Drudge Report highlighting the contracts as wasteful spending.

None of the contracts indicated how much food was purchased with the stimulus funds. Vilsack’s statement said his agency bought 837,936 pounds of mozzarella, for example.

Vilsack said the food was purchased for distribution to local groups, including food banks and soup kitchens, that support the needy. He said the purchases would help reduce hunger among those hardest hit by the recession.

more...

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/usda-760000-lbs.-of-ham-for-1.2m-2009-07-20.html

Related:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=8536488
$1,191,200 for 2 lbs. of sliced frozen ham??????

[liberal N proud]

1. Sounds like wasteful spending...

"distribution to local groups, including food banks and soup kitchens"


Only in a republican mind would caring for the needy be wasteful.

[Renew Deal]

2. $1.56/lb of ham

That's pretty cheap. Probably not Boars Head.

[HopeHoops]

3. $1.50 per pound is a fucking good price!

I just bought some for the dogs' birthday for $3.99 per pound and thought THAT was a good price. But if it was going to feed the needy, it was *OBVIOUSLY* a waste of money.

[madrchsod]

4. another epic failure by drudge.

the republican hog and diary farmers are as pleased as a tick on a dog that the government bought up the surplus.....

[progressoid]

5. Oh I don't know.

To some extent, it was a success. This lie will probably be making the email rounds for years to come. And will continue to distract people from facts and truth and stuff like that.