Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Office has awarded nearly $1.5 million in grants aimed at promoting health and wellness in some of Massachusetts’ most at-risk communities by creating jobs for low-income teens that promote increased physical activity. Through the office’s Project YES Initiative, the grants were awarded to active youth programs for the purpose of battling both high teen unemployment rates and the physical inactivity that is a major factor in rising youth obesity and other chronic illnesses.The timing was great, coming just weeks before the special election. But the funds do not need to be spent by these organizations for two more years. In order to avoid the appearance of impropriety, Coakley should have waited until after the January 19 special election to announce the awards.
It's a hurry up and wait situation, where Coakley gets good public relations (courtesy of her labor union supporters) and lets the community know she knows how to spread the wealth, but the money actually will not be spent for months or years.
No wonder SEIU invested so heavily in getting Coakley the Democratic nomination through television and radio ads, and possibly broke campaign laws in recruiting state workers to "volunteer" for Coakley.
If the people of Massachusetts want more of the same in the Senate, they can get it by voting for Martha Coakley.
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What's also insidious about these grants is that the money comes from "settlements" the MA AG secured from several pharmaceutical firms. In effect, the government can sue corporations, obtain "go away" money from those indicted firms, and then parcel out the shakedown dough to bestest buddies. SOP, no doubt, in most states, but corrupting nonetheless.
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