Progress Illinois

Earlier this month, we criticized some local media outlets for uncritically reporting Republican Senate candidate Mark Kirk's dubious talking points on health care. Today, the Alton Telegraph took that approach to a whole new level. In a story about Kirk's campaign event with fellow GOP Rep. John Shimkus, the paper reprinted multiple claims from Kirk, but made no apparent effort to verify anything he said. Here's one example:

The federal stimulus plan, of which only 12 percent has been spent, has done little to revive the economy, [Kirk] said, and it's wrongly focused, with 80 percent on social programs that are not job-producing.

Kirk said he would reroute most of the stimulus into infrastructure, because it has a lasting effect and does more for jobs.

It's technically true that only 12 percent of the stimulus spending money has been distributed. What's misleading is the pejorative use of the term "only." It's no surprise that the federal aid has not been distributed yet. That's because the spending is spread out over 18 months by design. For example, $115 billion is scheduled to be spent on infrastructure projects during the 2010 fiscal year, which begins September 30. If Kirk expected all of the money to show up in a lump sum, he misread the bill.

Then there's Kirk's contention that spending on "social programs" is not "job producing." Again, this is a common canard from he and his fellow Republicans. But let's get the facts straight: The stimulus package was passed with the specific intention of infusing money into the economy quickly to promote consumer spending. The best way to do that, according to economists, is to put money into the hands of people who need it the most. That's why spending on food stamps and unemployment benefits provide the biggest bang for the buck. And there's evidence that such spending has helped the economy recover more quickly than it would have otherwise.

Let's also not forget that the president said the stimulus package would create or save millions of jobs. That's exactly what the $140 billion in aid to states is doing. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that stimulus funds are covering 30 to 40 percent of overall state budget shortfalls, preventing layoffs and service cuts to the nation's most vulnerable before tax receipts rebound and states can cover their deficits. Without the stimulus, for example, Illinois schools would be over $1 billion in the hole.

We've repeatedly documented how Kirk plays loose with numbers. If a reporter doesn't have enough time or resources to check out his claims, they simply shouldn't be printed.