Kirk unveils first Facebook ‘Wastebook’ poll winner
U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk is using social media to give technology savvy constituents a voice in his quest to cut government spending.
Kirk Thursday unveiled the first winner of the “Silver Fleece” Award for government waste on the “Wastebook on Facebook” page, a joint venture between the Highland Park Republican and Oklahoma Republican Sen. Tom Coburn.
On the Facebook page, users of the social media site can vote for their choice for biggest government waste from several different options.
According to a release from Kirk’s office, in the inaugural poll, 1,087 voters selected a $998,000 grant by the Institute of Museum and Library Services for signs with poetry at zoos. Another 412 votes were cast for a $615,000 grant to build a Grateful Dead archive.
In last place, ironically, with 217 votes, was a $456,000 grant by the National Science Foundation to Stanford University for a study of online dating and why political figures were vague on social networking sites.
The next round of voting, Kirk’s office says, will include the options of grants that focus on deception in text messages, “critter crossing” signs, and a video game in the works by the Minnesota Zoo.
Those interested can access the page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/WasteBook/168237253222475?ref=ts.