How many bureaucrats does it take to flush $750,000?

I understand why the government must take our money. Because we can’t be trusted to spend it the way we should. Just like a four-year-old clutching his Christmas money at the candy counter, we need mommy government to confiscate our wealth so we don’t blow it on something stupid.

For example, I never would have thought to buy a 1986 Cutlass for $24,000. Or… I don’t know… send a check for $750,000,000 to the University of North Carolina so that students can jump around with computer mice in their bras.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. –   A conservative think tank has targeted a research project at UNC-Charlotte, naming it one of the worst stimulus projects in North Carolina, but is it really such a waste of money? 
The project is called “Dance Draw.” UNCC dance students wear wireless computer mice on their chests and wrists to “draw” abstract geometric shapes on a computer screen. Dance Draw won more than $750,000 in federal stimulus money.

Brian alfour with the conservative Civitas Institute called it questionable. “I think it’s an inappropriate use of taxpayer dollars,” he told NewsChannel 36.

“I have to say I resent that,” said UNCC Computer Scientist Celine Latulipe. “I don’t think of this as wasteful at all.” 

Dance Draw drew fire because of the number of jobs it reportedly created, one and a half. “That same amount of money could have funded sixteen school teacher jobs,” said Balfour.

But, Latulipe says they are funding education and more than one and a half jobs.

Stop the ACLU commented:

Here’s an idea: why not pay dance students to sing the theme song from Gilligan’s Island while standing on their heads? Considering that no wireless mice would be required, the government ought to be able to fund this for as little as $749,900 — a small price to pay for another one and a half jobs.

Nope. I never would have seen the merits of this vital program on my own. You wouldn’t have, either. But, lucky us, wiser heads in Washington are ready and willing with their paws in our bank accounts rescue us from our ignorance. It’s really for our own good.

One could wonder why stimulus funds were allocated for this while Democrats insist that unemployment benefits must go on the generational credit card. But what gives us taxpayers the right to question the priorities of congress?