The stimulus funding calculation

Okay, so here's what they do. They throw a bunch of money for stupid [ACORN] projects out to the states, and then they tell people how to calculate how many jobs were created *or saved* based on a formula. Not literally created. Of course.

Michigan's Department of Transportation offers up yet another reason to doubt the accuracy of the reported number of stimulus grants. From the Clare County Review in Michigan:

Statewide the Michigan Department of Transportation is the recipient of $566.9 million in stimulus funds. Clare County is receiving $3.35 million of that total for two projects, the new 44,000 square foot Clare County Transit facility and the recently completed 5.5 mile portion of the Peré Marquette Rail trail through Farwell.

Janet Foran of MDOT’s Office of Communications said “The stimulus funding calculation for jobs created is one job for each $92,000 invested, making, if the calculation is accurate, three hundred sixty-four jobs created or saved by the investment."

If you define stimulus money in advance as creating a certain number of jobs per dollar, then obviously you will achieve the results the Obama administration has been looking for. How many other reported stimulus jobs have been "created or saved" through this kind of circular logic?