FLINT, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) passed in March 2021 was pitched by the U.S. government as a means to deliver “immediate economic relief to families” as the country was facing a “deep economic crisis” due to the pandemic.
Michigan News Source has highlighted several examples of how local governments in Michigan have strayed from that original mission. Now, more than five years after the state faced a lock-down and stay-at-home order, Michigan cities are still spending ARPA money on things that have little or nothing to do with the COVID-19 pandemic.
A more recent example is the city of Flint and its plan to spend $44,000 in a contract with Flint Institute of Music to hire Hocus Focus Analytics. The city’s Finance Committee recently recommended the plan for the City Council to approve.
The city describes Hocus Focus Analytics as a 45-minute activity that combines education with “that art of magic” to help students with learning disabilities.
Kevin Spencer is the creator of Hocus Focus and is described as a “world-renowned illusionist” and a faculty member at Carlow University in Pittsburgh. Carlow University lists Spencer as an adjunct lecturer in the Department of Education and Liberal Studies.
“This funding will expand FIM’s [Flint Institute of Music] current Hocus Focus program offerings to include more schools, youth-serving institutions, and to utilize Hocus Focus Analytics throughout Greater Flint,” the city resolution stated.