Construction Zone: Sign of the Times
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – You have probably seen them. The road construction signs which state the project is paid with federal stimulus dollars.
But an NBC Action News Investigation shows how thousands of your tax dollars are being spent on the signs alone.
Mixed in with the bumper to bumper traffic, the construction cones and all the noise, you’ll easily find the signs that you helped pay for.
The bold print states “Economic Recovery Project”, letting you know which construction projects are part of the federal stimulus recovery.
The signs are not mandatory. But the U.S. Department of Transportation encourages each state to put them up.
The price tag is not cheap, costing some states like Missouri thousands of tax dollars.
The Price Tag
In Missouri, the lettering is added in the department of transportation’s sign shop.
The cost for each sign ranges from $110 to $230. That may sound like a small price. But when you addd them all together, The Missouri Department of Transportation's own records show the cost has reached $37,840 so far.
We asked the Missouri Department of Transportation why spend so much on the signs.
“I think its very important to communicate what we are doing ... That need for information,” said Perry Allen, a construction engineer from MoDOT’s Kansas City district. “To be accountable for all of our actions to have our people our customers understand what we are doing how we are using their tax dollars.”
In Kansas, the state’s Department of Transportation tells us the contractors awarded the construction job provide the signs and pick up the cost.
Across the country , the amount of money spent on the signs alone goes into the millions. Some estimate the cost has reached nearly $4 million.
'Re-Election Bill Boards'
Conservative critics like
Michelle Malkin call the signs “tax subsidized re-election bill boards”.
Others are not thrilled to know their tax dollars go to advertising.
Outside the Apple store on the Plaza recently, thrifty-minded customers stood in line to avoid paying sales tax on the tax free weekend.
Some like Cindy Trug feel the money could be better spent.
“Is it worth it? For me, personally no. I teach. I know teachers. I think the money could be spent better else where,” Trug said.
What do you think about spending tax dollars on signage? Give us your thoughts.
