ProPublica Fact-Checks Recovery Board's Two-Time Loser List

ProPublica has [1]a great story [2] up today, examining the list of "two-time losers" [3] the Recovery Board posted on their website. The Board chairman, Earl Devaney, said he posted this list of recipients who failed to report, as they are legally required to do, in both reporting periods, in an effort to shame the recipients into reporting. Since agencies have very few sticks to get recipients to report, the list sounded like a great idea. One problem: ProPublica found that at least 60 of the 360 recipients listed did actually report on time.

Hopefully the Board is working on straightening this out, and figuring out where things went off the tracks. That said, it sounds like Devaney's stunt did accomplish its goal. ProPublica quotes one non-reporter as saying that Devaney's list, and accompanying comments [4], were "uncalled for and not reflective of the intent of those accused." Guess who's probably reporting next cycle!