Broadband stimulus moves at dial-up speeds

[Commentary] Here's the reality: Most of that stimulus money hasn't been spent. According to figures from the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, a government agency that monitors stimulus spending, only $234.2 billion had been allocated as of Nov. 20. And when you consider that almost one-third of the stimulus money is tax credits, the amount of cash actually being injected into the economy is even lower. As for the remaining money, well, spending such a large sum is a lot harder — and slower — than it looks. To understand why, and just how hard it is for the government to stimulate the economy, there's no better illustration than the repeatedly delayed attempts to get broadband stimulus funding to waiting Internet service providers.