Obama's Stimulus Package Funds Pork -- Literally!!

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is doing its part to help "stimulate" the economy:

(The USDA) purchased 760,000 pounds of ham for $1.191 million, at a cost of approximately $1.50 per pound. In terms of the dairy purchase referenced, USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) purchased 837,936 pounds of mozzarella cheese and 4,039,200 pounds of processed cheese. The canned pork purchase was 8,424,000 pounds at a cost of $16,784,000, or approximately $1.99 per pound.

According to the Recovery.gov website (rounded up nicely by Matt Drudge), these purchases amounted to nearly $30 million of food stuffs.

The USDA reports that the food will be used for distribution to local organizations that assist the needy – including food banks, food pantries, and soup kitchens. A noble goal to be sure.

But, isn't the "stimulus" money supposed to be going to help kick-start the economy? How does provid(ing) food to those hardest hit by these tough times help the economy?

Oh it does, assures the USDA:

...the purchases also provide a modest economic benefit of benefiting Americans working at food retailers, manufacturers and transportation companies as well as the farmers and ranchers who produce our food supply.

Thirty million dollars for a modest benefit to the economy? I hate to see what the Obama administration would want to evince a significant benefit. Oh yeah, $800 billion!

And you wonder why it's not working....