ROBERT M. NEELD, Democrat
Candidate for U.S. Congress

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEELD FINDS $13.8 BILLION ERROR IN DISTRICT’S FED FUND REPORT

CAPE CORAL, FEB. 13 – Robert M. Neeld, Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, today called upon the General Services Administration (GSA) in Washington to correct a nearly $13.8 billion error in its report of federal grant dollars returned to the 14th Congressional District.

Mr. Neeld discovered the apparent $13.8 billion mistake during his comprehensive review of the Fiscal Year 2002 Agency List of federal grants, reported by the GSA as being allocated to the 14th Congressional District.

The District encompasses Lee County and parts of Collier and Charlotte Counties. Mr. Neeld has made the return of tax dollars to the 14th District a high campaign priority.

The apparently misstated figure shows up in the GSA’s list pertaining to a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) line item. It shows that $13,772,651,463 was allocated to the District during the 2002 Fiscal Year. According to the GSA and by comparison, the District received $13,213,783 from the Department of Education during the same fiscal year.

A spokesperson for FEMA said that the $13,772,651,463 figure was wrong, noting that nearly $13.8 billion would have been far in excess of FEMA’s budget for the entire nation.

“The GSA and Congress must provide absolutely accurate information regarding the federal budget, especially in light of the projected half trillion dollar budget deficit. The GSA should immediately correct this obvious error so that we can know how many tax dollars actually come back into the District,” Mr. Neeld said.

For more information: Robert Neeld (239)549-9588