[ryandrake]

> A new report suggests the state of Michigan is the latest to learn that lesson the hard way.

There doesn’t seem to be any lesson-learning happening, since governments keep trying this despite the outcome always being the same.

[vannevar]

>There doesn’t seem to be any lesson-learning happening...

Which would indicate that creating jobs was not the actual reason for the grants. Given how trivially easy it would be fix the problem (simply make the grant contingent on the creation of jobs, otherwise it converts to a loan), the real purpose is probably a matter of generating headlines and raking in campaign contributions (with occasional full-on kickbacks probably happening as well). All of which it apparently does well enough that politicians continue to do it.

[Cpoll]

Implementing your loan-contingency wouldn't prevent generating headlines, so that would only leave contributions and kickbacks.

[0xbadcafebee]

Correct, reporting this is doing nothing to stop it. People don't directly see the impact of it on their paychecks or budgets so they forget about it the hour after they read about it. The next politician can do it without fear of reprisal

[kgwxd]

pointing out a stop sign does nothing to stop cars either, but it's a pretty important step if you want any cars to stop.

[binary132]

it’s almost as if they are just lying about the purpose and doing it for some other purpose that it is perfectly effective for

[Henchman21]

Self-enrichment on the part of government employees?! I am SHOCKED BEYOND ALL BELIEF.

/s

[coldbrewed]

We need more judges and prosecutors that are hungry to catch corruption and are willing to go after white collar crime.

[Avicebron]

We need people of the "can't afford a house, making 50K a year in a rural state" class in politics.

That would shake things up.