Rio Tinto Project Makes Coburn-McCain Report

That Coburn-McCain listing of wasteful spending in the Obama Stimulus bill, what was a Utah firm doing on it?

Rio Tinto, to be exact. True, Rio Tinto isn't headquartered in Utah, but as Rio Tinto's very significant holding -- the Kennecott copper mine, the world's largest open-pit mining operation -- is in Utah, that makes Rio Tinto a Utah connection.

And, no, I don't know whether Rio Tinto is mentioned by name in the Coburn-McCain study, but the a project it has is mentioned.

It was Tuesday Good Morning America broke the story, senators Tom Coburn and John McCain giving the program an exclusive. The Coburn-McCain study lists 100 questionable projects receiving stimulus money.

Like $71,623 to study monkeys on cocaine.

And, $554,763 to replace windows at a visitor center at Mount St. Helens that was closed in 2007.

And, $1 million to study exotic ants in the Southwest Indian Ocean islands and in East Africa.

And, $200,000 to help folks in Siberia lobby Russian decision makers.

Mind you, I am not saying everything in the Coburn-McCain report is accurate, or correct. I'm just conveying the allegations.

Now, here's a quote from a news story at abcnews.go.com:

"In perhaps the most eye-popping instance, the report says oil giant BP, the company behind the worst oil spill in the nation's history, is benefiting from $308 million given to Hydrogen Energy California -- a company it owns -- to build a California power plant that won't even break ground for another two years."

The abc.go.com story goes on to say the California project BP has is actually a 50/50 cost-share with Rio Tinto. In addition, it turns out only $175 million in stimulus money is going to the power plant, with by far most of the funding coming from private enterprise. And, perhaps 47 current employees owe their jobs to the stimulus money.

What do I think of the Coburn-McCain report? I think we should be thankful for any false projects it has brought to light. It is too bad we are not looking for monies not yet spent that we might rescind.