[classicman]

Here is an interesting piece on where OUR stimulus money is going.

In a letter Thursday to Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Sen. Charles Schumer (D., N.Y.) urged the department not to use any federal stimulus money to support a $1.5 billion wind project in Texas, unless the project relies on U.S.-built turbines and other components. The project -- which involves a Chinese manufacturer of wind turbines, Shenyang Power Group -- calls for the installation of 240 Chinese-made wind turbines across 36,000 acres in West Texas, in a partnership with Cielo Wind Power LP of Austin, Texas.

"The purpose of the Recovery Act was to jump-start the economy to create and save jobs—American jobs," Mr. Schumer wrote in his letter to Dr. Chu. Mr. Schumer added that he fears most of the jobs created by the project will be in China. "American taxpayer dollars should not be used to finance those Chinese jobs," he wrote.

Shortly after Mr. Schumer released his letter, Rep. Brad Sherman (D., Calif.) said in an interview that he intended to send a similar letter to the Obama administration. "We have a stimulus bill, and we seem to be oblivious as to whether we're stimulating our economy or China's", Mr. Sherman said.

However ...

The U.S. Renewable Energy Group, a private-equity firm involved in the 600-megawatt Texas project, said last week that the partnership would seek tax credits and support from the federal stimulus package. The company said the project should create 300 U.S. construction jobs and 30 permanent maintenance jobs. The project also would support 800 jobs in China at a new factory built by Shenyang Power.

Then again...

"This is just the beginning," Lu Jinxiang, chief executive of A-Power Energy Generation Systems Ltd., which controls Shenyang, said in an interview last week. He said that the "the U.S. is an ideal target" for his sector.

Link
I'd like more of this money to go toward building and expanding the factories here in the US. I'm sure that would also lead to more innovation and greater competition.