PHOENIX -- Eggs come in a variety of sizes, and so do federal stimulus checks.
"For our bid to be classified as stimulus, it was kind of surprising really," said Clint Hickman, whose family business was awarded government contracts to provide two million eggs to food banks all across the southwest.
Those contracts, worth about $171,000, show up on the federal website
Recovery.gov, maintained by the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board to track spending of funds allocated under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
"To us, it was just a sale to the United States government that we do everyday," Hickman said.
"The sad fact is that the stimulus is claiming credit for a lot of projects that were already going to be funded by government in the first place," said Tom Jenney with Americans for Prosperity, a taxpayer advocate group. "The big problem with stimulus is that there's no such thing as a free lunch."
Jenney questions whether federal spending is really helping the economy and if it will truly create jobs.
"The stimulus is a mirage," Jenney said. "You're taking money out of one pocket and you're putting it into the other pocket."
"This is money to put people back to work and to bring services where they otherwise wouldn't be," said Deborah Ostreicher, deputy aviation director at Phoenix's Sky Harbor International Airport.
Sky Harbor is currently using $11 million of stimulus money for a new taxiway off the north runway.
The airport is asking for an additional $120 million to be used toward the new SkyTrain, which will connect all airport terminals and the rental car facility to the light rail.
The first phase of that project is already underway, but airport officials say stimulus funds will allow the entire line to be completed seven years earlier.
"If we are able to complete the SkyTrain early, that will add 2,000 additional jobs," Ostreicher said.
Construction seems to be a large slice of the stimulus.
This Chuck E. Cheese franchise being built near McDowell and Dysart roads in Goodyear got a $744,000 federal small business loan.
Even though the loan is expected to be repaid, it still doesn't sit well with area residents.
"I think in the economy right now, it's sort of foolish," said Barbara Grey.
"I don't think Chuck E. Cheese is the way to create more jobs," said Michelle Drews. "I think there's other ways you can do that."
The restaurant owner couldn't be reached for comment.
Across town in Cave Creek, the co-owner of Harold's Corral told ABC15 by phone he was surprised the $1,958,000 federal loan his restaurant received and used for business reorganization was considered stimulus money.
In Chandler, a representative of cooling system maker Misty Mate wouldn't comment on its $2,449,000 federal loan.
Jenney said it doesn't matter where the money goes.
He feels stimulus in general is a just a bad idea.
"Stimulus in a lot of ways is like taking a bucket of water out of the deep end of the pool, pouring it into the shallow end of the pool, and hoping that the whole level of the pool is somehow going to rise," Jenney said.
Governor Jan Brewer's Office of Economic Recovery is working right now to meet an October 11th federal reporting deadline.
This report will detail all projects and activities in the state funded by stimulus money.
The Governor's Office announced Thursday the release of $9 million in stimulus funding to Yavapai, Pima, Graham, Mohave and Cochise County community colleges.
Also expected to be included in the state's report is the estimated $350 million the Arizona Department of Transportation is receiving for 57 highway and bridge projects statewide.
According to the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, $5.25 billion in stimulus money has been announced for use in Arizona, $4.25 billion has been made available, and $1.92 billion has been paid out so far.
