‘Soylyndra in Miniature’: TN Truck Stop Given $424,000 in Stimulus Funds Goes Broke
- Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:16pm by
Becket Adams
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A Tennessee company called Mountain Plaza Inc. that received $424,000 in a stimulus fund grant has gone completely broke.
The grant was approved by both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) for the construction of electrical hookups at a truck stop in Dandridge, TN, “so that truckers wouldn’t have to burn diesel fuel while resting,” reports Fox News Insider.
In other words, thoughts of clean energy and environmental friendly trucks stops most likely influenced the awarding of the grant.
But wait! It gets better.
The company qualified for the taxpayer-funded stimulus grant even after it had filed for bankruptcy. Yes, bankruptcy.
The Nashville Business Journal reports:
The truck stop’s owners . . . filed for bankruptcy protection during the process of receiving the federal funds.
. . . the truck-stop owners filed for bankruptcy on June 3, 2010, after being sued by U.S. Bank for failing to pay a $2 million loan. The stimulus grant was awarded 12 days later.
Mountain Plaza received their grant award letter in December 2009. On May 18, 2010, contracts were executed, and TDOT sent them to the Tennessee Department of Finance & Administration, reports The Tennessean.
As mentioned in the above, it was on May 24, 2010, that U.S. Bank sued Mountain Plaza, Lewis, and his wife for failure to repay $2 million in loans they had taken out to finance the truck stops.
Mountain Plaza Inc. filed for bankruptcy on June 3, 2010, and the stimulus award to Mountain Plaza Inc. was officially awarded 12 days later despite the lawsuit, bankruptcy, and all the other financial red flags.
Both TDOT and the EPA were apparently unaware that owner Rick Lewis had a history of legal and financial problems and that he had filed for bankruptcy, reports Fox.
“It is Solyndra in miniature,” said Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA), referring to a Silicon Valley solar panel manufacturer that filed for bankruptcy shortly after receiving a $535 million loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy, in the Fox report.
“What I am questioning is the vetting and oversight and the fiduciary responsibility that the federal government — the people who run these programs — have to we the taxpayer,” he said.
Maybe someone could make the argument that, like Solyndra, investing in electric hookups was a “safe bet:”
Even before his latest bankruptcy filing, Lewis had a history of financial troubles. He also filed for bankruptcy in 2003, a year after a conviction on 31 counts of theft.
And Lewis currently faces indictments for allegedly writing worthless checks, according to court records.
Scratch that.
But let’s forget about his history of financial troubles; Lewis had some very recent financial issues that should have alarmed the EPA and TDOT:
. . . debts included $18,000 owed to the Internal Revenue Service, $5,000 owed to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, $35,000 owed to the Tennessee Department of Revenue and $17,312 owed to the Jefferson County Trustee, according to the bankruptcy petition.
How could something like this happen? Well, according to Brandon Gee of The Tennessean, TDOT spokeswoman B.J. Doughty said that the “EPA did not require financial or criminal background checks or information to be disclosed on grant applications.”
Also, as The Tennessean postulates, the fact that Mountain Plaza Inc. was located in Jefferson County, an area that the EPA has designated “as one where air quality is not always healthy,” probably helped to rush the application through.
TDOT officials are claiming that the Mountain Plaza Inc. case was “unusual,” and that they are going to improve the screening process for future grant applicants. Furthermore, TDOT officials have stressed that the department was “simply passing along the federal grant funds it had applied for and that no state money was involved,” reports The Tennessean.
Watch The Tennessean news brief:
On Oct. 4, the expensive taxpayer-funded equipment that was previously collecting dust became the possession of U.S. Bank as “the bankrupt business after an auction at the Jefferson County Courthouse failed to solicit a single bid,” according to the timesfreepress.com
Brandon Gee of The Tennessean sums it up:
While not as spectacular a flop as Solyndra — the California solar panel manufacturer that filed for bankruptcy last month after receiving a $535 million guarantee from the federal government — the truck stop’s collapse further illustrates flaws in the way stimulus projects were evaluated that extended to the state level.
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Comments (123)
Indymaverick
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 5:00pmNo big surprise. I hope who ever runs against Obama brings this up during a debate.
Report Post »Exrepublisheep
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 7:16pmRepubes have gutted much of the E.P.A. Now you‘ll complain they can’t do their job and this should be held against Obama. People aren’t that stoopid.
Report Post »Lemon Party Patriot
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 9:06pmYou people are all over something like this but you give Wall Street a free pass when they gamble away or mortgage or pension. Morons.
Report Post »lillymckim
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 9:17pmThe corruption seething out of Obamas White House DAILY is beyond belief
Report Post »it’s no wonder he hit the road on the tour bus.
whywonder
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 10:14pmLots of folks in tennessee get govt dough…we are all republicans.
Report Post »pghpatriot
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 11:19pmnice try. if Obullshxx won‘t admit to knowing anything about ’Fast and Furious,‘ surely you don’t think he would admit knowing anything about a truck stop.
Report Post »smithclar3nc3
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 8:04amIt’s time to take away washington check book,and credit card they have put our childrens childrens children in debt up to their eyeballs. Time to not only reniegn in the government but put in place the stop blocks via the constitution to forbid them from ever returning.
Report Post »redgranite
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 1:15pmexrepublisheep said, “Repubes have gutted much of the E.P.A.”
What planet do you live on? Obama runs the EPA; and he’s a democrat. If you are blaming the EPA for this, you should be blaming Obama. The “repubes” aren’t in power. The dems run the executive branch (EPA) and Senate.
Report Post »PROTECTNEXTGEN
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 2:08pmIt’s always interesting to see how efficient leftist ops are, though they are predictable. Shift the blame to the opposition – lie if helpful to – then attempt to stifle any voice in opposition with pre-emptive insults – usually an insult to the effect of branding the person as stupid or racist. No thinking person, conservative or liberal, buys into this crap anymore. They have no answers. Their ideology, based on patronage and subservience for protection pre-dates the feudal system.
Report Post »hauschild
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:59pmReally, brilliant ideas, though. All the Marxist’s cronies get a piece of the American taxpayer, rat-hole a pile of cash, then go out of business. It’s a nice golden parachute to be used to retire early.
Liberals are certainly a different breed, no doubt. Even to somebody I hated, I could never do that.
Report Post »mad_hatter
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 5:29pmIf you didn’t hear it Sen. Sessions came out yesterday with a ‘Solyndra Rule’ to combat Obama‘s ’Buffett Rule‘ and his waste of taxpayer’s funds: http://www.americanparchment.com/video/2011/oct/sessions_solyndra_rule.html
Report Post »mad_hatter
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 5:35pmOh yeah and the link I put on earlier has been updated and the whole GOP debate is available on one clip: http://www.thedailycandidate.com/video/2011/oct/gop_debate_earlier.html
Report Post »Jaycen
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 5:35pmThe real question is how much did Rick Lewis contribute to the Obama campaign?
Report Post »EddardStark
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 8:31pmJust about every technological, communication or transportation break through in the last 215 or so years was created by government intervention/investment.
You are connecting to the Blaze, your favorite conservative political blog, through the internet that was only possible through government investment.
You all like guns right? The manufacture of weapons wouldn‘t have advanced without Eli Whitney’s pursuit of a government grant based on the idea of interchangeable parts.
The West never would have been settled without massively corrupt government grants of land to railroad developers.
While this project failed and the individual clearly wasn‘t vetted properly it isn’t symptomatic of “Marxism.” It is as American as Congress appropriating 30,000 dollars for Morse’s telegraph.
Report Post »decendentof56
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 9:30pmJaycen….
Report Post »Yes, and there’s no telling how much of the $787 B ‘stimulus’ found its way back into Dem coffers.
whywonder
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 12:08amHatechild
Report Post »How do you know they were libs? Lots of republicans have been taking credit for the money obamas stimulus in their districts. Are you aware?
whywonder
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 12:29amMad hatter
Report Post »I think you got mercury poisoning. Alabama should opt of out of the future. Wedontneedstinkinbadges, snowcat, doc labor, 10 amend, all agree with you.
knighttemplar999
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:54pmOblackma thinks he‘s running a plantation doesn’t he.
Report Post »TomFerrari
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 5:50pmNobody cares what race he is.
Report Post »He is a marxist. THAT’s what matters!
ChiefGeorge
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 6:23pmYou can‘t even get people to agree that he’s a Marxist. Mostly misguided but marxist?
Report Post »liberalescheisskopf
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 7:10amThat would be Omarxist then.
Report Post »ares338
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:51pmI want to start a message parlor, can I have some Obama money?
Report Post »Blackhawk1
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:55pmOnly if you insist your clientele use public transportation or drive a Chevy Volt.
Report Post »13th Imam
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:59pmBill Clinton is in charge of Hands-Ready Jobs.
BJ is a happy ending
Report Post »copatriots
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 5:28pmNo tanning beds though. They are bad, very bad. LMAO
Report Post »whywonder
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 9:48amI think you meant “massage.” i cant spell either.
Report Post »Thedadde
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:49pmIt‘s just another form of ’redistribution of wealth’, you’ll get better at recognizing all the various ways of taking the wealth…well, except when it‘s done at ’occupy wall street’, then it’s called stealing!
Report Post »alcarfl
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 5:30pmI wonder how much the Rickster donated to the DNC out of the “grant”and where is the $$$$ now? In the hands of a federal bankruptsy referee? Yeah, right.By the way, isn’t thr BK refiling period 10 years? Just askin’
Report Post »Cat
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 5:48pmThe branches of Gangland DC
Boss: Barry Soetoro
Report Post »Captains: Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Harry Reid
Lieutenants: Barbara Boxer, Dick Durbin, Diane Feinstein, Chuck Schumer
Bagmen: Al Franken, Bill & Ben Nelson (no relation)
Thugs: John Kerry, Nancy Pelosi, Sheila Jackson Lee (close relations)
Hit men: Internal Revenue Service
Enablers: Our accountants
Under control: FEMA. EPA, DOJ, GAO, Federal Reserve … forget it, the list is WAY too long
Working capital: Trillions of dollars
Estimated constitutional republic carnage: Tens of trillions of dollars
Drakkhanlord
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 8:58pm11/11/11
Veteran Groups and Patriots are Gathering in DC …
Rolling Thunder will also be There to Honor the Vets and MIA/POW’s
be rolling in at @ 400,000 Strong…
Search for more info …This aint no Protest…
Report Post »Demand return to Constitutional Republic…
Live Free , Die Well…
whywonder
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 12:24amHey cat
Report Post »Those are “we the people.” Ever heard of voting, thats how they got there. Its some stupid gb conspiracy theory. Ever read/pay attention to anything other than beck and fox? Didnt think so.
Cat
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 5:56pmHey whywonder!
Report Post »How the criminals got there is part of the problem.
They will push, shove, lie, connive, cheat, steal, and even kill to obtain power.
My active library is larger than your basement and includes books you’ve never heard of.
Haven’t owned a television in eight years
All six computers were built and are maintained by yours truly.
Listen in this order;
Michael Savage
Mark Levin
Sean Hannity
Rush Limbaugh
Mark Steyn
Glenn Beck
Pat Grey
Neal Boortz
Michael Medved
Been voting conservative for 44 years.
Obviously, there are more who vote otherwise.
Slayer
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:45pmThis is why OWS is happening. Obama now faces two possible scenarios because there is no way he will win next year.
Report Post »1) He gets us in so many wars and disasters that he is ‘forced’ to suspend the constitution and declare himself remaining in power a ‘while’ longer.
2) He realizes there is no hope of him seeing another four years and is destroying everything – figuring that if he and the Left can’t have America, no one will.
TomFerrari
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 5:52pmI could add a couple more, but, you are headed in the right direction, I fear.
Report Post »Salamander
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 7:34pmQuick, ship all those electrical charging stations to Zuccotti Park, NY! They can be installed there and other parks, worldwide, so when the OWS geeks come to protest, they won’t have to bring their generators with them!
Report Post »Slayer
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:43pmWhen the Solyndra news first broke, it was mentioned on Fox or maybe here at the Blaze that there were three other companies also in the toilet. This truck stop was one of them. There were two more. They were both some kind of solar thing, I believe. Now, since then there have been even more. Point is, we’re looking at more than five but less than ten Big Green Idea companies that went under with our tax dollars. Can someone on the Blaze please look into this and get the real number, as well as total losses to the taxpayer?
Report Post »commonsenseguy
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:45pmi don’t think our calculators can add that high of numbers,
Report Post »4truth2all
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:42pmALL this stuff needs to be compiled and used against obama in 2012…every bit of it!
Report Post »felix
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 5:30pmwont happen – republican leaders are just as bad
Report Post »bikerr
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 6:14pm@felix—I would ask you for proof but I‘m guessing your a jack wad and won’t show any. Prove me wrong! I dare you! Remember you said “just as ” Which means same as. Reminds me of the saying PUT UP OR SHUT UP!
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:38pmGet the Government & Regulation out of my life and Business! We are all paying for BedRock Insane Obama!!
Report Post »korbin
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:35pmWhat really gets me is WHY do AMERICANS ignore this type of issue??? There are people such as Alan Colmbs former hannity dude/gal that can make this seem like obummers done the right thing again, he and half the country can somehow overlook the facts and act like this is okay. I say if you dont hold anyone accountable that opens up more corruption. i owed the IRS money I didnt know about through a divorce it was a few thousand dollars without notice they garnished my wages. yet our tax dollars continually get sh i t down the drain and its like oh well….
Report Post »jollylama
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:39pmnothing to see here.. move along.
Report Post »AvengerK
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:43pmWasn‘t Joe Biden meant to be overseeing the spending of Obama’s stimulus?
Report Post »CatB
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 5:26pmJoes’s busy explaining the spending to 4th graders.
TEA!
Report Post »chazmo
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 8:38pmNo what happens is Comes tells you “well, like, come on the Republicans do the same thing”. Even tho Comes never has one example. Just SAY the Repubs do it too… They muddle up the argument with a lot of BS talk and your mind goes numb listening to it..
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:34pm“EPA did not require financial or criminal background checks or information to be disclosed on grant applications.”
Report Post »——————————————————-
This, among others, like drug tests for welfare recipients, needs to be fixed and implemented.
commonsenseguy
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:40pmand back ground checks for communist politicians and presidents.
Report Post »((GB)) FAN
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:52pmthats how they run there slush fund. no questions asked. i bet he was a supporter and gave to obummer to feed his wife fries..
Report Post »wildwood
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:34pmHOW could any administration be so careless with tax payer taxes!!!!
Report Post »There isn’t any excuses acceptable for the way Obama and democrats embezzled billions upon billions of money we had to borrow !!!and they just blow it off!!!!!
The only answer is a tax revolt, no more taxes going to Washington until there is a government in place that will guard against this kind of reckless fraud!!!!
Who is going to stand up and call for one????????
moreteaplease
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 5:16pmBecause it’s just that…it’s the tax payers money, not theirs, so they‘re going to spend it like there’s no tomorrow. Nothing new of course, but this administration has taken it to whole other level.
Report Post »NOMOBIGDRAMANOBAMA
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:33pm@Abby
Report Post »That odor you smell isn’t a skunk, it is death. The death of the USof A and our Constitution which Obummer is using to wipe his feet on. It seems, though, that some of us have figured it out and most of us live in this neighborhood!
I.Gaspar
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:32pmImagine four more years of this…and then start talking up the constitution and conservativism to anyone who will listen.
Report Post »This cannot go on.
CatB
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:39pmAbsolutely this can not go on>>>> what in the world were they giving money to a truck stop for .. really? “Unusual” .. I beg to differ . throwing our taxpayer money seems “usual” to me! Enough — stop this maddness .. people should be in JAIL! Obama Administration most corrupt EVER!
TEA!
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:32pmI need to figure out how to be an environmentally-friendly outfit and apply for 1/2 million dollars.
Report Post »commonsenseguy
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:35pmi wonder if my lawn and pool service would be considered a green job under this crazy administrations guide lines ????
Report Post »THX-1138
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:31pmThe most corrupt administration in the history of the United States of America.
Report Post »ACLUHater
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:54pmMore proof that the government could bungle a wet dream.
Report Post »commonsenseguy
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:28pmwhere is my stimulus, i would love to upgrade and man what i could do with some extra cash, not bankrupted yet, so if you are handing out money send some my way, heck i will do something really crazy, i would pay it back ,now that’s crazy.
Report Post »rfycom
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:28pmSounds like the mortgage brokerage situation where 80% of the mortgage brokers in Florida were past felons. I guess free enterprise and the public sector are both guilty of some of the same things,
Report Post »scuba13
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 5:32pmKind of like when Obama and Holder delivered guns to known drug smugglers and murderers.
Report Post »adastra2005
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:28pmAlthough the amount of money involved is considerably less than Solyndra, this is a much greater disgrace.
Fire everyone involved in granting this loan … EVERYONE. Collect from them the entire amount.
Report Post »Cherynn
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:27pmI sleep better at night knowing obummer and his czars are sooooooooooo on top of these things. What shape would our country be in if we elected a total idiot instead of the smartest guy on the planet. We have to be the envy of the world, lucky us! Hurry up Nov 2012.
Report Post »The10thAmendment
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:26pmThis surprise anyone? GREEN is just flat dumb, and a horrible waste of money and time.
Report Post »marklross
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:26pmThis is the kind of thing that happens when you have someone in charge who makes decisions like Øbama does. See how he makes decisions here: http://youtu.be/w7iEfYJOlHI
Report Post »geonj
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:25pmit had nothing to do with the way things were evaluated, the obama administration doesn’t care how taxpayer dollars are spent.
Report Post »Dustyluv
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:23pmWhen are we going t stop this Administration from stealing the American Taxpayer blind? The EPA and USDA need to be defunded immedietly. I ill vote for the first man who puts that in his election campaign promises……….even if it;s Rick Perry the RINO.
Report Post »abbygirl1994
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:21pmI think we are going to see alot more of this.. I smell a skunk and its becoming a regular everyday occurence!
Report Post »commonsenseguy
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:42pmthat’s called the sweet smell of communist perfume,get use to it.
Report Post »JohnQTaxpayer
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 4:55pmTo our oppressors aka Politicians and Governments
Now as you urinate on the small remaining flame of the torch of freedom, lit by our forefathers, “we the people” do hold you accountable, for you had many other nobler choices, you chose to enslave the people.
“We the people” will come for you, just as others have come for their destroyers in the past, and you will pay for your deception, corruption, treachery, abuse, thievery and incompetence.
I do not stand alone; you forget, I am “We the people”
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